Salman withdraws controversial tweets on Yakub Memon

Mumbai, July 26

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Sunday evening apologised for tweeting earlier that the 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Yakub Memon should not hang but his brother Tiger Memon should.

While saying that he stood by what he had said, Salman said his father Salim Khan wanted him to retract his tweets “as they have the potential to create misunderstanding”.

“What I said is that Yakub Memon should not hang for him (Tiger). I have not said or implied that Yakub Memon is innocent. I have complete faith in the judicial system of our country.

“Many lives were lost in the Mumbai blasts. And I have repeatedly said the loss of (even) one innocent life is equal to the loss of all humanity.

‘My dad called ... said I should retract my tweets as they have the potential to create misunderstanding. I hereby retract them.

“I would like to unconditionally apologise for any misunderstanding I may have created unintentionally.

“I also strongly condemn those who are claiming my tweets are anti-religious. I have always said I respect all faiths and I always will,” the actor tweeted.

In his earlier tweets, Salman said the wrong man is being hung for the crimes of his brother Tiger Memon. “Get tiger hang him. Parade him not his brother,” the actor tweeted.

Tiger Memon is one of the prime suspects in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case.

“Been wanting to tweet Tis fr 3 days n was afraid to do so but it involves a man’s n family. Don’t hang brother hang tha lomdi (fox) who ran away,” he tweeted.

“1 innocent man killed is killing the humanity,” the actor said.

The star also asked Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to send Tiger to India if he was in his country.

“Sharif Saab ek darkhaust hai k agar yeh aap k mulkh mein hai toh plz iktila kar deejiyeh. Kidhar chupa hai tiger?..

“Tiger ki hi to kami hai India mein. Tiger ko Lao. Hum toh upne family par mar jaaaeen. Tiger tumhaara bhai kuch Dino mein tumhare liyeh. Get tiger hang him. Parade him not his brother,” he said in a series of tweets.

“Phasisi k phande pe chardne walla hai. Koi statement.

Koi address. Kuch toh bolo k tum teh. Wah bhai ho toh aisa.

“Matlab. Ya khoob menan,” he said.

53-year-old Yakub will hang on the same day as his birthday, July 30.

Memon, whose curative petition against the death sentence awarded by special TADA court was dismissed by the Supreme Court earlier this week, is lodged in Nagpur Central Jail.

As many as 257 persons were killed and over 700 injured in the serial blasts in Mumbai on March 12, 1993. Memon was the only convict in the case whose death penalty was upheld by the apex court.

After his curative petition was dismissed, Memon has submitted a mercy petition to Maharashtra Governor. The President had earlier rejected his mercy petition.

Salman Khan's tweets defending Yakub spark furore

Meanwhile, the tweets attracted diverse reactions.

Congress said the Supreme Court verdict should be respected and all must "follow the course of the law" while Shiv Sena said Salman's remarks should be ignored.

BJP spokesperson Shaina NC said: "No opinion can absolve a conspirator or a mastermind. Supreme Court gave verdict on hardcore evidence and none of us are in position to undermine the verdict given by the apex court of the country."            

MP Kirit Somaiya demanded an apology from the actor and said he would raise the issue in Parliament. Uttar Pradesh BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai alleged Salman's remarks tantamount to "abetting terror" and "rubbing salt" on the wounds of those who lost their family members in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh said the court's decision has come and "we must all follow the course of the law".

"Terrorism has no caste or religion or sect. Whoever is involved in terrorism- whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian must be dealt with severity. I do not know whether Yakub Memon surrended himself or was arrested. But the court's decision has come, and we must all follow the course of the law," he said.

He, however, questioned BJP government for supporting the hanging of Yakub Memon while "asking agencies to proceed slowly in bomb blast cases like Malegaon, Modasa, Samjhauta express, Ajmer Dargah Sharif involving people from the Sangh".

Sachin Ahir, chief of Mumbai’s NCP unit, said: "As a celebrity Salman has freedom of expression, but...he should also take care of national integrity and respect court orders." Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said such remarks should not be given much importance.

"Nothing will move forward if we start thinking and pondering about tweets of individuals... .It would be better to overlook such remarks because if tweets start deciding judicial verdicts then what is the point of going to the Supreme Court?" he said to a query on the issue.

Salman ignorant of facts, says Salim Khan

Salman Khan tweets have brought his father, veteran scriptwriter Salim Khan, rushing to ward off public ire. Not long after the Bollywood superstar tweeted condemning Yakub Memon’s death sentence, Salim Khan claimed his son’s tweets were made in ignorance and should not be taken seriously, even terming them ridiculous and meaningless.

He added, however, that Memon should be kept imprisoned instead of being hanged, arguing that it incarceration was a harsher punishment.

Meanwhile, police have beefed up security outside Salman Khan's residence in suburban Bandra on Sunday after his tweets drew criticism.

"We have tightened security outside Salman Khan's residence to prevent any untoward incident," DCP (detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said. — Agencies