Salman Khan gestures during an immersion of an idol of Hindu God Ganesh in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Salman Khan apologised on Monday after sparking criticism for claiming that the 2008 Mumbai attacks attracted widespread publicity only because the elite were targeted.The actor —who with his namesakes Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan is one of the Indian film industry's leading Muslim actors —also questioned Indian claims that the Pakistani state helped plan the atrocities.
In an interview recorded three weeks ago with a
Pakistani television channel, widely reported in the Indian press on Monday, he said that “everybody knows” that the Pakistani government was not behind the attacks.
“Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 (November 26) attacks because elite people were targeted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns but no-one talked about it so much,” he said.
Instead, he blamed the failure of India's own security agencies.
Following demands from right-wing Hindu nationalist political groups for a public retraction, and criticism in the newspapers, one of which called him “Khan The Clueless”, the 44-year-old apologised to his fans.
“I think I messed up, so sorry guys,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter on Monday.
Khan's tweeted apology came after he posted a statement on the video-sharing site YouTube claiming his comments had been “twisted around”.
“I saw it myself, the way it is coming across on the TV. It's sounding insensitive,” he said.
“I was just saying that life is equal... it is the same. Some attacks had more media coverage than the others. Why is that? I think every human life is as important,” he added.
“I didn't mean to hurt anybody's sentiments and if I have hurt anybody's sentiments, I am really, really sorry.”
A total of 166 people died and more than 300 others were wounded in the Mumbai attacks when 10 Islamist gunmen lay siege to three luxury hotels, a popular tourist restaurant, Jewish centre and the city's main railway station.
India accuses the banned, Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba of funding, training and equipping the gunmen with help from elements in the Pakistani military.
Khan's newly released film, “Dabangg” (Fearless), has been critically acclaimed and a box-office hit.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday demanded an apology from Bollywood actor Salman Khan for his "unwarranted comments" on the 26/11 attacks to a Pakistani TV channel where he said that the Pakistani government is not to be blamed for it and the terror attack gained attention "only because the elite were targeted".
"We strongly condemn Salman Khan's unwarranted and irresponsible comments and that too to a Pakistani channel. How can he say only the elite were targeted? Is he not aware of the common people killed at the railway station and also the security forces? Moreover he has no right to give the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and the Pakistani government a clean chit... He should immediately apologise," BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told IANS.
Salman Khan in an interview to Pakistan's Express TV said the Pakistani government is not to be blamed and that it was a security failure on India's part.
"Salman's comment at this point when all the evidence is pointing a finger at the ISI and Pakistan, is totally uncalled for. This will weaken India's case and strengthen Pakistan's. He is an Indian celebrity and he has disappointed many Indian fans. If there was POTA today he would be behind bars," Hussain said.
"Salman should concentrate on films and not make such coments," Hussain added.
The Nov 26-29, 2008 attack left 166 people dead as 10 terrorists who sailed in from Karachi let loose coordinated shooting and bombing attacks largely across south Mumbai.
Eight of the attacks occurred in south Mumbai at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, the Orthodox Jewish-owned Nariman House, the Metro Cinema and a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle.
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After triggering an uproar with his comments on the 26/11 attacks, Bollywood actor Salman Khan has decided to record all his interviews in future to avoid controversies.
He wrote on microblogging site Twitter: "Every human life has equal value and any act of terror, anywhere in the world is unpardonable. Be it 9/11 or 26/11."
"Next time mein apnne sub interview khud bhi record karoonga, kya bolte ho? Takeh yeh sub controversies nahi ho (from now on I will record all my interviews so that such controversies don't happen)," he added.
Salman said in an interview to a Pakistani channel that too much hype has been created around 26/11 "because elite people were involved".
He wrote on microblogging site Twitter: "Every human life has equal value and any act of terror, anywhere in the world is unpardonable. Be it 9/11 or 26/11."
"Next time mein apnne sub interview khud bhi record karoonga, kya bolte ho? Takeh yeh sub controversies nahi ho (from now on I will record all my interviews so that such controversies don't happen)," he added.
Salman said in an interview to a Pakistani channel that too much hype has been created around 26/11 "because elite people were involved".
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Salman Khan's much awaited Dabangg opened to full houses across the country cashing in on the festive weekend.
Salman Khan's father Salim Khan has said that his superstar son "should not" have made the remarks on the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and should apologise. Salim also said his son is not "articulate and political" and it could have been a "wrong choice of words".
"Whatever I've heard, he should not have said that. It is wrong... He is not a very articulate person or a political person. It could have been the wrong choice of words," Salim, 74, told a tv channel.
"He should (come forward in front of the media) and apologise and he will... He will definitely say sorry and this (repeated telecast of his comments) should be stopped immediately... I'd like to express that we should not spread the (wrong) word and add fuel to fire."
"He should come forward and apologise if he has hurt anyone or their sentiments or the words he used," Salim added.
Salman, 44, invited flak with his comments to a Pakistani TV channel: "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targetted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."
"Everybody took this up because the Taj and Oberoi hotels were involved. The attacks happened because our security failed," he told the Pakistan Express channel.
He also said: "Everybody knows that the Pakistani government was not behind it and it was a terrorist attack. Our security had failed. We have had lot of attacks earlier, and all of them were not from Pakistan. They were from within."
Salman later tweeted saying that henceforth he would record all his interviews to prevent such controversies. He also denounced all terror attacks.
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Read:I'll record all my interviews in future: Salman
Read:Salman Khan must apologise: BJP
Read:Too much hype around 26/11 as the elite were targetted: Salman
Read:Salman invites flak for 'unwarranted' 26/11 comments
Pics:Dabangg premiere
Review:Dabangg
Salman Khan's much awaited Dabangg opened to full houses across the country cashing in on the festive weekend.
He is controversy's child. Yet, as his new film Dabangg sets the cash registers ringing, has Salman Khan bitten off more than he can chew this time?
After a weekend of flak over his comments on a Pakistani TV channel about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and trying to explain that his words were "twisted" out of context, Salman has apologised on Twitter. Salman's latest tweet says:
"Looks like I mite hv to get off twitter. Don't want to but wat to do? I think I messed up, so sorry guys, $sorry bolne mein koi sharam nahi."
A few hours before that apology, Salman said:
"Hurt v hurt, yeh kya ? straight thru my heart. My mum n dad yaar my bro's my sisters. family had to go thru torture on eid n ganesh utsav."
And he said yesterday:
"Next time mein apnne sub interview sub khud bhi record karoonga , kya bolte ho ? Takeh yeh sub controversies nahi ho.
"Every human life has equal value n any act of terror, anywhere in the world is unpardonable. be it 9/11 or 26/11."
IANS adds: In an interview to Pakistani channel Express TV, Salman had said: "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targetted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much." (Read: Too much hype around 26/11, says Salman)
He also said: "Everybody knows that the Pakistani government was not behind it and it was a terrorist attack. Our security had failed. We have had lot of attacks earlier, and all of them were not from Pakistan. They were from within."
Later, speaking to an Indian TV channel, Salman said: "The interview has been twisted. I saw it myself, the way it is coming across on TV, it is sounding insensitive. I was just saying life is equal for both rich and poor, some attacks get more media coverage and some don't. Why is that? Every human life is important." (I'll record all my interviews: Salman)
"Any attack or terrorist attack in the world is unpardonable. A terrorist has no nationality, no religion and no guts. I have complete faith in our intelligence agencies. I've always had faith in our police and armed forces. I did not want to hurt anybody's sentiments and if I have hurt anybody's sentiments then I am really, really sorry," he said on the Indian channel.
His family immediately sprang to the 44-year-old's defence with father Salim Khan coming out in his defence, insisting that Salman is not "articulate and political" and one should "understand the intent behind his remarks". (Salman is not articulate but should apologise: Dad Salim Khan)
Actor-producer Arbaaz Khan defended his brother saying: "Whatever Salman said was just his opinion and he had no intention of hurting anybody's sentiments."
But others were less forgiving.
POLITICAL PARTIES SLAM SALMAN
Reacting to the actor's statement, Public Prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam said: "If Salman is making such a statement without knowing the details of the case, it is foolish. Terrorists do not strike after differentiating rich from the poor nor do they differentiate a village from a city. The attack has wide ramifications as it killed many people and because the conspiracy was allegedly hatched in Pakistan." (Read: Salman invites flak for 'unwarranted' 26/11 comments)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan too slammed the comments, saying: "The conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan. There is no room for his or anyone else's opinion when the court's verdict is out".
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Anant Gadgil dismissed Salman's comments as baseless. "This statement is not right. It is not about taking note of the attack because rich people were killed. It is about loss of lives," he said.
Abu Azmi, state president of Samajwadi Party, urged Salman to help the victims of terror attacks instead of making irrelevant statements. "The attack first happened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), where common men and women were killed and injured. What sense does such a statement make?," asked Azmi.
Azmi also said that a woman named Sabira was badly in need of funds for herself and her son. Sabira had lost both her legs in the attack and was still waiting for financial aid. "Salman should extend support to her instead of making such statements," Azmi added.
BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain condemned Salman's remarks and demanded the Bollywood actor apologise for his "unwarranted comments".
"We strongly condemn Salman Khan's unwarranted and irresponsible comments and that too to a Pakistani channel. How can he say only the elite were targeted? Is he not aware of the common people killed at the railway station and also the security forces? Moreover he has no right to give the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and the Pakistani government a clean chit... He should immediately apologise," Hussain told IANS.
SALMAN OFTEN IN TROUBLE
This is not the first time the actor, described as the "enfant terrible" of Bollywood, has run into trouble. His first brush with controversy was when his car ran into a bakery in Mumbai on Sep 28, 2002, killing one person sleeping on the pavement outside the shop and injuring three others. However, he escaped the charges of culpable homicide for rash and negligent driving.
He had to spend time in a Jodhpur jail in 2007 for hunting the endangered chinkara deer near Jodhpur on Sep 28, 1998 while filming Sooraj Barjatya's blockbuster "Hum Saath Saath Hain".
He was also reported to have slapped a television journalist for asking nosy questions about his relationship with Aishwarya Rai when the two were supposed to be a couple.
Read:Salman Khan must apologise: BJP
Read:Too much hype around 26/11 as the elite were targetted: Salman
Read:Salman invites flak for 'unwarranted' 26/11 comments
Pics:Dabangg premiere
Review:Dabangg
Salman Khan's much awaited Dabangg opened to full houses across the country cashing in on the festive weekend.
He is controversy's child. Yet, as his new film Dabangg sets the cash registers ringing, has Salman Khan bitten off more than he can chew this time?
After a weekend of flak over his comments on a Pakistani TV channel about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and trying to explain that his words were "twisted" out of context, Salman has apologised on Twitter. Salman's latest tweet says:
"Looks like I mite hv to get off twitter. Don't want to but wat to do? I think I messed up, so sorry guys, $sorry bolne mein koi sharam nahi."
A few hours before that apology, Salman said:
"Hurt v hurt, yeh kya ? straight thru my heart. My mum n dad yaar my bro's my sisters. family had to go thru torture on eid n ganesh utsav."
And he said yesterday:
"Next time mein apnne sub interview sub khud bhi record karoonga , kya bolte ho ? Takeh yeh sub controversies nahi ho.
"Every human life has equal value n any act of terror, anywhere in the world is unpardonable. be it 9/11 or 26/11."
IANS adds: In an interview to Pakistani channel Express TV, Salman had said: "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targetted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much." (Read: Too much hype around 26/11, says Salman)
He also said: "Everybody knows that the Pakistani government was not behind it and it was a terrorist attack. Our security had failed. We have had lot of attacks earlier, and all of them were not from Pakistan. They were from within."
Later, speaking to an Indian TV channel, Salman said: "The interview has been twisted. I saw it myself, the way it is coming across on TV, it is sounding insensitive. I was just saying life is equal for both rich and poor, some attacks get more media coverage and some don't. Why is that? Every human life is important." (I'll record all my interviews: Salman)
"Any attack or terrorist attack in the world is unpardonable. A terrorist has no nationality, no religion and no guts. I have complete faith in our intelligence agencies. I've always had faith in our police and armed forces. I did not want to hurt anybody's sentiments and if I have hurt anybody's sentiments then I am really, really sorry," he said on the Indian channel.
His family immediately sprang to the 44-year-old's defence with father Salim Khan coming out in his defence, insisting that Salman is not "articulate and political" and one should "understand the intent behind his remarks". (Salman is not articulate but should apologise: Dad Salim Khan)
Actor-producer Arbaaz Khan defended his brother saying: "Whatever Salman said was just his opinion and he had no intention of hurting anybody's sentiments."
But others were less forgiving.
POLITICAL PARTIES SLAM SALMAN
Reacting to the actor's statement, Public Prosecutor Ujjawal Nikam said: "If Salman is making such a statement without knowing the details of the case, it is foolish. Terrorists do not strike after differentiating rich from the poor nor do they differentiate a village from a city. The attack has wide ramifications as it killed many people and because the conspiracy was allegedly hatched in Pakistan." (Read: Salman invites flak for 'unwarranted' 26/11 comments)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan too slammed the comments, saying: "The conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan. There is no room for his or anyone else's opinion when the court's verdict is out".
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Anant Gadgil dismissed Salman's comments as baseless. "This statement is not right. It is not about taking note of the attack because rich people were killed. It is about loss of lives," he said.
Abu Azmi, state president of Samajwadi Party, urged Salman to help the victims of terror attacks instead of making irrelevant statements. "The attack first happened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), where common men and women were killed and injured. What sense does such a statement make?," asked Azmi.
Azmi also said that a woman named Sabira was badly in need of funds for herself and her son. Sabira had lost both her legs in the attack and was still waiting for financial aid. "Salman should extend support to her instead of making such statements," Azmi added.
BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain condemned Salman's remarks and demanded the Bollywood actor apologise for his "unwarranted comments".
"We strongly condemn Salman Khan's unwarranted and irresponsible comments and that too to a Pakistani channel. How can he say only the elite were targeted? Is he not aware of the common people killed at the railway station and also the security forces? Moreover he has no right to give the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and the Pakistani government a clean chit... He should immediately apologise," Hussain told IANS.
SALMAN OFTEN IN TROUBLE
This is not the first time the actor, described as the "enfant terrible" of Bollywood, has run into trouble. His first brush with controversy was when his car ran into a bakery in Mumbai on Sep 28, 2002, killing one person sleeping on the pavement outside the shop and injuring three others. However, he escaped the charges of culpable homicide for rash and negligent driving.
He had to spend time in a Jodhpur jail in 2007 for hunting the endangered chinkara deer near Jodhpur on Sep 28, 1998 while filming Sooraj Barjatya's blockbuster "Hum Saath Saath Hain".
He was also reported to have slapped a television journalist for asking nosy questions about his relationship with Aishwarya Rai when the two were supposed to be a couple.
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