Salman Khan's Comments on 26/11 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks Creates Controversy

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has triggered a controversy by claiming that "too much hype" was created around the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai as "elite people were targetted" and that the Pakistani government was not behind it.

In an interview to a Pakistan's Express TV Channel, Salman Khan said "It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five star hotels and all. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much," the 44-year-old actor had said during an interview to Express 24/7 channel.

"Everybody took this up because the Taj and Oberoi hotels were involved. The attacks happened because our security failed," he added.

Salman Khan said the Pakistani government is not to be blamed and that it was a security failure on India's part.

"It was a terrorist attack. Our security had failed. We have had lot of attacks earlier, and all of them were not from Pakistan."

His comments have drawn strong reactions. Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told a news channel: "Salman's comments are illogical and an actor shouldn't have commented on terror attacks in this manner."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded an apology from Bollywood actor Salman Khan

"We strongly condemn Salman Khan's unwarranted and irresponsible comments and that too to a Pakistani channel. How can he say only the elite were targeted? Is he not aware of the common people killed at the railway station and also the security forces? Moreover he has no right to give the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) and the Pakistani government a clean chit... He should immediately apologise," BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told IANS.

"Salman should concentrate on films and not make such coments," Hussain added.

Salman is not articulate but should apologise: Dad

Salman Khan's father Salim Khan has said that his superstar son is not "articulate and political" and it could have been a "wrong choice of words". "Whatever I've heard, he should not have said that. It is wrong... He is not a very articulate person or a political person. It could have been the wrong choice of words," Salim, 74, told Aaj Tak news channel.

"He should (come forward in front of the media) and apologise and he will... He will definitely say sorry and this (repeated telecast of his comments) should be stopped immediately... I'd like to express that we should not spread the (wrong) word and add fuel to fire."

"He should come forward and apologise if he has hurt anyone or their sentiments or the words he used," Salim added.

Salman, 44, invited flak with his comments to a Pakistani TV channel: "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targetted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."

"Everybody took this up because the Taj and Oberoi hotels were involved. The attacks happened because our security failed," he told the Pakistan Express channel.

He also said: "Everybody knows that the Pakistani government was not behind it and it was a terrorist attack. Our security had failed. We have had lot of attacks earlier, and all of them were not from Pakistan. They were from within."

Salman later tweeted saying that henceforth he would record all his interviews to prevent such controversies. He also denounced all terror attacks.

26/11 Mumbai terror attacks comments by Salman khan. What Salman Khan Said about the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

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