Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane raised questions on Thursday over the knife attack on Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan questioning “if the Bollywood star was attacked else he was acting”. The statement followed a day after former Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam raised questions about the quick return of Saif to normal life after a six-hour surgery for deep stab wounds.
Speaking on perceived biases, Rane claimed that many speak out when a ‘Khan’ is attacked, but similar attention is not given to Hindu actors. This statement referred to the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide in June 2020. And, added that opposition leaders like Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad had remained silent on Rajput’s death but spoke during Khan’s situation.
“Opposition leaders Jitendra Awhad and Supriya Sule did not speak about (late actor) Sushant Singh Rajput. She is concerned only about Saif Ali Khan,” news agency PTI quoted Rane as saying.
BJP’s Agenda Is To Mix Religion And Politics: Nana Patole
In response, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole slammed Rane’s statement, accusing the government of blending religion and politics to create a divide and divert attention from pressing issues. Patole alleged that the BJP’s agenda is to mix religion and politics, shifting focus away from the problems faced by the people.
He also urged the police to prioritise capturing the actual perpetrator instead of politicizing the situation, highlighting discrepancies in the investigation, including reports suggesting that the individual caught on CCTV may not match the one arrested.
“Instead of raising Hindu-Muslim angle in law and order situations, police must catch the real culprit. There are reports about the person caught on CCTV and the one arrested (in the Saif attack case) not being the same person. Earlier police had detained some lookalikes and released them. It is sad that cine artists, sarpanch, and common citizens are not safe,” Patole stated.
Reacting to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, the Congress leader stated that his case is with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). “There is a BJP government in the state and at the Centre…why is it that the case hasn’t been resolved? We had spoken about it that time,” he added.
Rane, speaking at a BJP function, questioned the authenticity of Saif Ali Khan’s attack, suggesting that his quick recovery raised suspicions. “The way Saif came out of the hospital, I am wondering if he was really attacked or is he acting,” the minister said. This comes after Khan, 54, was attacked in his Mumbai apartment on January 16, suffering multiple stab wounds during an attempted robbery, and was later discharged from Lilavati Hospital.
He indicated the arrest of Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, a Bangladeshi national, who illegally entered India and attacked Saif Ali Khan. “Earlier, Bangladeshis entering the country illegally were found on roadsides; now they enter homes,” Rane stated, reacting to the rise of threat, and adding that “maybe the Bangladeshi intruder wanted to take him away”. He also warned people to remain cautious of what’s happening around them.
Nirupam and Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), expressed surprise at Saif Ali Khan’s rapid recovery after undergoing a six-hour surgery for severe stab wounds. “The doctors at Lilavati Hospital said the knife had penetrated 2.5 inches inside Saif Ali Khan’s back. They should clarify how a person who underwent such an extensive operation can recover so quickly,” Nirupam added.
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