New Delhi: Bollywood star Aamir Khan on Monday came under fresh attack for his “leaving India” comments in the “intolerance” debate, with actor Akshay Kumar saying ups and downs happen in every country and one should not start giving “bold” statements.

Aamir (50), whose comments while wading into the “intolerance” debate last November had kicked up a huge controversy, hit back, asserting he never meant that he wanted to leave the country or that India was intolerant.

“Any kind of ups and downs happen in every nation and you can’t get into so much straight away that you start giving such bold statements. These kind of things happen. There are so many good things also which we don’t speak about. Unfortunately, we have the habit of only pointing out the wrong things but, nevertheless, everybody has the right to talk,” Akshay told India Today TV. Asserting that no other country is as diverse as India, Aamir said, “I was born here and I will die here.” “I never said India was intolerant or I wanted to leave the country. I also understand the emotions of those who were hurt. I would like to say that my statement was misunderstood and to some extent the media is responsible for it. I was born here and I will die here,” the PK star told reporters in Mumbai on the eve of his 2006 superhit Rang De Basanti completing 10 years. Aamir’s statement last November that he was “alarmed” by a number of incidents and that his wife Kiran Rao even suggested that they should probably leave the country caused a nationwide outrage. –PTI