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NEW DELHI — BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Singh Yadav on Monday urged Bollywood actor Salman Khan to apologise to the Bishnoi community for the blackbuck incident that occurred over two decades ago.
He highlighted that the blackbuck holds great cultural and religious significance for the Bishnoi community, who were deeply hurt by its killing.
"Some 23-24 years ago, Salman Khan went to Rajasthan for the shooting of a film. He went hunting and killed a black buck. The blackbuck is worshipped in the Bishnoi community, and its killing left the community furious," Harnath Singh said.
He pointed out that following the incident, Salman Khan was sentenced to five years by the lower court.
"Humans make mistakes, and Salman Khan is a very popular person with many followers. To resolve this controversy, I appealed to him on Twitter. The best way to end this is to repent and apologise. Apologising does not diminish a person's status; it enhances it," Harnath Singh added.
The Rajya Sabha MP had posted on his X handle on Sunday, accusing Khan of hunting and eating the black buck, urging the actor to respect the Bishnoi community's sentiments and apologise.
"Dear Salman Khan, the Bishnoi community worships the blackbuck as a deity. You hunted it, cooked it, and ate it. The community has been angry for a long time because of this. My good advice is to apologise and make amends," his post read.
Meanwhile, following the murder of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was a close friend of Salman Khan, security at the actor's residence, Galaxy Apartment in Mumbai's Bandra area, has been increased.
Siddique was killed on Saturday night outside his son Zeeshan Siddique's office in Bandra East. On Sunday, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed the responsibility for Siddique's murder, raising questions of a possible mafia angle to the killing.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which had previously threatened Salman Khan and his father, Salim Khan, has claimed responsibility for Baba Siddique’' murder. This has raised concerns about a possible mafia connection to the killing.
Mumbai police have apprehended two out of the three assailants involved in Siddique's murder, while the third remains at large. Police have released pictures of the suspects as the investigation continues.