Lawrence Bishnoi has reportedly targeted Salman Khan following the assassination of NCP leader Baba Siddique, who is asking Salman Khan for an apology on whatever basis Salman was held guilty of his alleged role in the blackbuck poaching case.
Responding to the ongoing controversy, Salman‘s father Salim Khan said that his son is innocent. When asked by ABP, “Woh mujhse jhooth nahi bolega. Usko nahi hain shaukh jaanwar maarne ka. Jaanwaro se mohabbat karta hai woh.
Salim Khan further clarified that if Salman were to ask for an apology from Lawrence Bishnoi, it would mean he is agreeing to the fact that he murdered the blackbuck, which was never accepted by him. “Maafi maangna ye accept karna hai ki maine maara hai. Salman ne kabhi kisi jaanwar ko nahi maara. Humne kabhi kisi cockroach ko bhi nahi maara. Hum inn cheezo mein believe hee nahi karte,” he said.
In the meanwhile, an old tweet of Mark Manuel, former editor of Bombay Times surfaced on Twitter giving glimpses into the blackbuck case. Mark did mention his acquaintance with Salman and then went ahead to say Salman was not the real culprit in his case. Here is what he said in that tweet: “I know who shot the black bucks but I am not telling and I am not telling because Salman Khan won’t.”. He is taking the fall for something that happened twenty years ago to which he was a party but not guilty of. At times we do things out of impulse, according to our emotions instead of reason or logic. This is what Salman did. He acted according to what he perceived as best. Not only was he the biggest star among the ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ brigade on the hunting spree at Bhawad in Jodhpur that September in 1998, but he is also the star with the biggest heart. He took the blame heroically, maybe, but unwisely. Now it has come to bite him in the pants, but that is the way he is, an absolute brave heart.
Mark praised the magnanimous gesture of Salman too. He said in case such a situation comes along once more, Salman will again do the same thing. Adding, “Salman is my friend, and you know that. In twenty years, he has only become more generous and large-hearted than he was before.”. He is man enough to take this sentence, but to carry the guilt of this charge and live with the condemnation must be eating him up. Yet, for twenty years, during the trial, in which he was accused under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Arms Act of 1959, we did not say a word. That leaves the person who shot the black bucks. In 20 years, this man too never uttered a word. Is it likely that now he will come out, take responsibility, and save Salman Khan from going behind the bars? Question mark. No. Full stop. That happens only in Bollywood.
Mark concluded his tweet by referring to Salman as the sole hero in the situation, stating, “Ironically, though the hunters of this poaching incident were a Bollywood cast, there was only one hero among them.”