Members of the Bishnoi community in Jaipur staged a protest by burning effigies of actor Salman Khan and his father, screenwriter Salim Khan, on Saturday. Community leaders expressed their outrage over Salim Khan's 'misleading' comments regarding the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, where Salman is the main defendant. The blackbuck holds significant cultural and religious importance for the Bishnois.
Even though Salman has been cleared of the charges, the Bishnoi community is asking him to apologize for the poaching incident. Salim Khan said his son did not hunt the blackbuck, which upset the community further.Protesters gathered in different areas of Jodhpur to celebrate Bishnoi Dharma Sthapana Diwas. Community members questioned why Salman needed lawyers from Delhi, Mumbai, and Jodhpur if he was truly innocent.
They warned Salman Khan that if he does not apologize, the Sanatan Hindu Samaj would start a movement against him. The Bishnoi community pointed out that Salim Khan’s claim of his son’s innocence was misleading, especially since many respected people were present when the case began 26 years ago. We are Bishnois, we do not defame anyone just like that. When the case was registered 26 years ago, many dignitaries including the then MLA of the Bishnoi community were present. Salim Khan cannot mislead people by giving false statements. The entire community was hurt by Salim Khan's statement. We will make all-out efforts to ensure justice was delivered in the Blackbuck case. We will also protest by taking to the streets," they said, as per IANS. They also mentioned that Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster who has threatened Salman Khan, is from their community and follows the 29 rules of the Bishnoi tradition.