Up in arms

The Bishnoi community on Friday burnt the effigy of Bollywood actor Salman Khan and his father-film director Salim Khan, expressing resentment against the latter’s statement that his son was ‘innocent’ in the blackbuck poaching case.

Though the actor has been acquitted in the case, the Bishnoi community wants him to apologise for poaching a blackbuck.

Recently, Salim Khan said that his son had not hunted the blackbuck. Several people from the community participated in the protest staged in Jodhpur. They gathered at different places on the occasion of Bishnoi Dharma Sthapana Diwas.

The community members said that if Salman Khan did not hunt the blackbuck, then why lawyers from Delhi, Mumbai and Jodhpur were called to fight his case? They protested against Salman Khan and warned that if the actor did not apologise, a movement would be launched by Sanatan Hindu Samaj. Bishnoi community said that Salman Khan’s father claimed that his son did not hunt the blackbuck, so why did he come here?

“We are Bishnois, we do not defame anyone just like that. When the case was registered 26 years ago, many dignitaries including the then MLA of the Bishnoi community were present. Salim Khan cannot mislead people by giving false statements. The entire community was hurt by Salim Khan’s statement. We will make all-out efforts to ensure justice was delivered in the blackbuck case. We will also protest by taking to the streets,” they said.

People of the community also said that Lawrence Bishnoi belongs to their community and follows all 29 rules set by the community. Salman has recently received threats from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi after which his security was stepped up. The Mumbai Police said that Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother Anmol Bishnoi was in touch with shooters who killed NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique outside his son’s office on October 12. The 66-year-old NCP leader was shot dead by three men while he was bursting crackers on the occasion of Dussehra.