Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Sunday tendered apology for his 26/11 attack remarks saying that if anybody's feelings are hurt he seeks apology.
Earlier, terming the remarks as anti-national, Shiv Sena on Sunday said actor Salman Khan should apologise for his statement on the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
"This is a very unfortunate statement. The 26/11 attacks were a war against the nation. Salman should apologise for his remarks," Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, reacting to the actor's interview in which he ridiculed the `hype by the rich' on the 26/11 attacks.
"Ambani was not staying at CST, nor was Tata or Birla staying in Cama Lane," Raut said.
Meanwhile, the actor tweeted that he would record his own interviews to avoid such controversies.
"Next time mein apnne sub interview khud bhi record karoonga , kya bolte ho? Takeh yeh sub controversies nahi ho," Salman said.
"Every human life has equal value and any act of terror, anywhere in the world is unpardonable, be it 9/11 or 26/11," the actor said.
Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said he was not aware what Salman had said on 26/11 attacks. "It is clear that Pakistan was behind the attacks. We don't need anyone's certificate," he said.
Condemning the actor's remarks, Special prosecutor in 26/11 trial Ujwal Nikam said the actor's statement was 'childish'.
"It is wrong to say that the terror attack (Mumbai terror strike) happened in a place where elite people were killed and because of this it got much publicity. It appears that without knowing the details of the terror attack, the actor made such statements and I shall say these are childish remarks," Nikam said.
"They (terrorists) don't make any distinction between rich and poor. It is judicially established that the outcome was a deep routed criminal conspiracy hatched in Pakistan and the targets were deliberately selected to wage war against India," he added.
Vouching for Salman Khan and his family's "unflinching" commitment to secularism, his father Salim Khan on Sunday said the Bollywood actor was ready to apologise for his reported remark on 26/11 Mumbai terror attack aired on a Pakistani TV Channel.
"Salman will tender an unconditional apology if anybody, even a single person, feels hurt by his remark about the Mumbai terror attack. Salman has told me that he loves his country as anybody else does and is prepared to apologise," Salim Khan, himself a famous Bollylood script writer told PTI.
He, however, suspected that portions of Salman's interview were "selectively leaked" to show him in "a bad light" just around the release of his film 'Dabangg'.
"Selective footage seems to have been presented by a Pakistani channel just to discredit Salman and to create communal disharmony. We regret that this has happened," Salim said, adding his family was a "happy blend of various religions, each respecting the other."
"We believe that worshipping one's nation is part of one's love, affection and regard for the Almighty," he said.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has thrown his weight behind the beleaguered film star describing him as "God's good man" who might have made some politically incorrect comments.
"The Salman I know is God's good man. He might have made some politically incorrect statement, but he and his family have an impeccable record in secularism. Yesterday, when I went to their house, they were celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi on one floor and Eid on another," he said.
"This is a shining example of secularism we all should follow. He is first an Indian and then anything else," Sinha, the BJP MP from Patna Saheb whose daughter Sonakshi plays the lead against Salman in 'Dabangg', said.
"The hype over Salman's reported comments reminds me of a cartoon by R K Laxman years ago in which late Prime Minister Morarji Desai was shown hunting in a jungle of problems, including corruption, but he was aiming at prohibition."
"The nation has larger problems on hand. I hope that good sense prevails and a sorry situation is nipped in the bud in the larger interest of our country and our people," he said.
The controversy arose after Salman Khan during an interview to a Pakistani channel Express 24/7 remarked that the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai were hyped because "elite people" were targeted.
"It was the elite that was targeted. Five star hotels and all. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much," the 44-year-old actor said during an interview inviting criticism from all quarters.
Late Sunday night, Salman Khan tweeted on Twitter:
"Every human life has equal value n any act of terror, anywhere in the world is unpardonable. be it 9/11 or 26/11," tweeted the actor.
"Next time mein apnne sub interview sub khud bhi record karoonga , kya bolte ho ? Takeh yeh sub controversies nahi ho, (I will record all my interviews from the next time onwards so that I can avoid these controversies)," PTI
Watch Salman's interview to Pak TV channel Express News by clicking on this link
