West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. , Photo Credit: ANI
Condemning the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (January 16, 2024) said that actors Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan are also in danger to their lives.
Ms Banerjee described the attack on Mr Saif as shocking and said the actor’s entire family should be provided security.
Knife attack on Saif Ali Khan Live Updates – January 16, 2024
“The lives of Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan are also reportedly in danger. Saif was not in this list, yet he was attacked. it is unfortunate. I am not sure there is any conspiracy behind this, but the government should take strict and decisive action,” Ms Banerjee said.
Mr Shahrukh was previously the brand ambassador of West Bengal, and had a close relationship with the chief minister. Both Mr Shah Rukh and Mr Salman have been regular visitors to the Kolkata International Film Festival organized by the West Bengal government.
The Chief Minister said that Mr. Saif’s mother Sharmila Tagore belonged to the Tagore family, which was highly respected by the people of the state. “The family should get justice.”
The Trinamool Congress president said that the law and order situation in West Bengal is the best compared to other parts of the country. “I respect every state, but they have their own problems,” Ms Banerjee said.
Bhagwat’s remarks condemned
The West Bengal chief minister criticized RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent statement that India got “true independence” on the day of the consecration of the Ayodhya Ram temple.
“I am unable to understand why he made such a statement. I consider this an anti-national statement. Can any political organization change history? Freedom and democracy are our pride,” the Chief Minister said. Urging Mr. Bhagwat to withdraw his statement, Ms. Banerjee said that attempting to erase the history of independence is wrong and dangerous.
“They [BJP and RSS] Our history and Constitution have been changed on many occasions. We are a country of unity in diversity. We are committed to preserving the history of independence and are ready to sacrifice our lives for it. We will not tolerate such statements,” the Chief Minister said.
published – January 16, 2025 08:05 PM IST
