Salman retracts controversial tweet
Updated
Mumbai, Jul 26 (IANS): Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Sunday evening apologized 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 apologize 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.
Earlier Report
Parade and hang Tiger Memon, not Yakub: Salman Khan
Mumbai, Jul 26 (PTI): Bollywood actor Salman Khan has come out in defence of death row convict in the 1993 Mumbai blast case Yakub Memon, saying the wrong man is being hanged 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.
Khan said he had been wanting to tweet about the issue for some days but was afraid.
"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 people 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.