Bharatiya Janata Party MP Harnath Singh has advised Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to apologise to the Bishnoi community days after Nationalist Congress Party leader and his close friend Baba Siddique was shot dead, with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claiming responsibility for the murder.
Singh has advised Salman to apologise to the community for hurting their sentiments by allegedly killing and then feasting on a blackbuck decades ago during a film shoot in Rajasthan in 1998.
Singh wrote on X, “The Bishnoi community worships the black deer, which they consider a deity. You hunted it, cooked it and ate it. Due to which the sentiments of the Bishnoi community were hurt and there is anger against you in the Bishnoi community for a long time. People make mistakes. You are a big actor, a large number of people in the country love you.
“My good advice to you is that you should respect the sentiments of the Bishnoi community and apologize to the Bishnoi community for your big mistake.”
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang on Sunday claimed responsibility for the murder of Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by three men during Dussehra on October 12.
One of the gang members shared a post on Facebook where he hinted at Siddique’s close ties with Salman and links to underworld people that cost him his life.
The Facebook post reads, “Salman Khan, we did not want this war but you are the reason behind the harm to our brother. We have no enmity towards anyone but whoever helps Salman Khan or Dawood gang should be ready for the consequences.”
“The cause of his death is Anuj Thapan and linking Dawood to Bollywood, politics and property dealing,” the post added.
Siddique, who had close ties with Salman Khan, had been receiving threats from the Bishnoi gang.
The gang was allegedly involved in the firing incident outside Salman’s residence earlier this year.
After Siddique’s murder, Salman’s security has been ramped up and the actor has been avoiding guests at home.
The blackbuck case and Salman Khan
In September 1998, during the shooting of the film “Hum Saath Saath Hain” in western Rajasthan, Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who was accompanied by Saif Ali Khan, Tabu and Sonali Bendre, allegedly hunted two blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra) in the Kankani village.
The incident angered the Bishnoi community, known for worshipping and protecting wildlife and the environment. The Bishnois of Jodhpur believe blackbucks to be the reincarnation of their religious Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar. While Salman’s co-actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu were also charged under various sections of the wildlife protection laws, they were all acquitted in the poaching case.
However, Salman Khan was convicted under the Wildlife Protection Act and sentenced to jail for five years with a fine of Rs 2,50,000 in 2006. But he got away spending a week in jail. In July 2016, Salman Khan was acquitted in the case by the Rajasthan High Court.
