New Delhi, May 18 -- Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has responded to criticism over his outspoken views, hitting out at trolls who have labeled him a 'jihadi', according to a report by News18.

Addressing the crowd, during the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's latest book Narkatla Swarg in Mumbai, Javed Akhtar said that he would rather choose hell than going to Pakistan.

"People from both sides abuse me. One calls me a Kaafir (infidel), saying that I will go to hell. The other calls me a Jihadi, asking me to go to Pakistan. So, If I only have a choice of going either to hell or to Pakistan, I would rather like to go to hell," News18 quoted Javed Akhtar as saying.

Akhtar's response comes at time when India-Pakist...