BJP activists protest against Salman Khan

LUCKNOW - Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists in this Uttar Pradesh capital Sunday protested against actor Salman Khan for his remarks on the 26/11 terror attack, police said. Salman has apologised for his comments.

Shouting slogans against Salman, BJP activists burnt posters of the actor near a mall-cum-multiplex in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar area.

Police used mild force against the protesters as they tried to disrupt a show of film “Dabangg” that has Salman in the lead.

“Timely intervention by our teams managed to control the situation and disperse the protesters, who even tried to disrupt vehicular traffic in the busy area,” police Inspector Akshay Kumar told reporters here.

In the wake of the protest, security has been strengthened at malls, multiplexes and cinema halls, particularly those screening “Dabangg”.

The star stoked a row with his remark that the 26/11 attack attracted “too much hype” as only “elite people were targetted”.

“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,” Salman, 44, told Aaj Tak news channel.

“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 added.