A sedition case was filed against Bollywood actor-producer Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao on Wednesday in a Bihar court based on his statement on increasing intolerance in the country.

Lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed the sedition case in the chief judicial magistrate court in Muzaffarpur district.

“I have filed a sedition case against Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao over their statement that intolerance has increased in the country, as it created bad environment and has defamed the country,” Ojha said.

At an awards event in New Delhi on Monday, Aamir spoke of “growing despondency” in India for the last six to eight months.

He said: “When I sit at home and talk to Kiran, for the first time she said, ‘Should we move out of India?’ Now that’s a very disastrous and a big comment to make to me.”

His statement drew widespread criticism even as many defended him.

Ojha said the court has accepted his complaint for hearing later this week.

Meanwhile, Aamir on Wednesday clarified his stance on “intolerance”, saying he and his wife Kiran Rao love India and won’t leave the country.

He added: “Anyone implying the opposite has either not seen my interview or is deliberately trying to distort what I have said.”