While BJP’s youth wing planned a protest over the tweets, outside Khan’s Bandra residence, Mumbai BJP president, Ashish Shelar met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and asked him to cancel actor’s bail

A late night drive-by on Twitter by Salman Khan is costing him dear, with the BJP the same party which had invited his father for an iftar party recently approaching the Governor with a plea to cancel the actor’s bail in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

Protestors and police outside Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, whose walls had been fortified with spikes and broken glass earlier this month.

Late on Saturday night, the actor came out in defence of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon, who is scheduled to hang on July 30. “Get Tiger hang him, parade him not his brother… 1 innocent man killed is killing the humanity,” Salman had tweeted. Most of his tweets in defence of Yakub Memon were in Hindi, used SMS lingo and were riddled with spelling errors.

The tweets kicked off a row, forcing the actor to tweet an apology on Sunday evening. He claimed his father (Salim Khan) called him and asked him to retract his tweets as they were causing unnecessary misunderstanding. The apology tweets, however, were crisp and in proper English, which led many to ask whether they had been written by his advocates or father.

Too late?
The damage, however, had been done. While the BJP’s youth wing planned a protest over the tweets, outside Khan’s Bandra residence, which was fortified recently, Mumbai BJP president, Ashish Shelar met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and asked him to cancel Salman’s bail.

Ashish Shelar

Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya will raise the issue of Salman’s tweets in Parliament on Monday. Niranjan Shetty, the chief spokesperson for Mumbai BJP, said, “Salman should know how to treat the judiciary. The decision on Yakub Memon has not been taken by a political party, but by the judiciary and, in India, we respect our judicial system.

Our judicial system is hailed as fair and impartial across the globe. Salman should keep all this in mind. BJP’s protest and comments reflect the feelings of the hurt citizens of the city and country.” BJP Mumbai secretary Vivekanand Gupta jibed: “Salman, of late, has been visiting too many courts for his alleged crimes.

By now, we had all expected that he will understand how courts function. But he still wishes to behave in his immature manner. Being a celebrity, Salman should be more careful about what he tweets on such national issues, or else the people of India will never forgive him.”

Habitual stupidity?
Speaking to mid-day, Mumbai BJP president and Bandra MLA Ashish Shelar said, “After Salman’s apology, I have left it to the court to decide what should be done with him.” He also tweeted, “Stupidity as a habit is bad. But film industry has to introspect how they have made such a fool their icon.

Unintentional claim indigestible. He (Salman) is not only a convict, proven provocative nature. Continues to challenge SC, HC. Firm action should be taken, my appeal to court after apology.” Salman deleted the controversial tweets later, while his father Salim Khan’s phone remained switched off.