Hang Tiger Memon, not his brother Yakub, says Salman
Salim Khan calls Salman’s tweets about Yakub Memon ‘meaningless’
mumbai — Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has come out against the death penalty given to 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon, saying he should not be punished for his brother’s crime.
“Hang Tiger. Brother is being hanged for Tiger. (Where) is Tiger? Get Tiger. Get Tiger hang him. Parade him, not his brother,” Salman tweeted on Saturday night, referring to Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon.
Yakub Memon is set to be executed on July 30 for his role in Mumbai blasts in which 257 people were killed and 712 others injured. Yakub is the brother of one of the main absconding accused, Tiger Memon.
The star also called Tiger Memon a coward for letting his brother face the gallows.
“We can die for our family. Tiger, your brother will be hanged for you in some days. Say something, make a statement or address that it was you. What kind of brother are you,” Salman wondered.
The actor also called upon Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urging him to share details of Tiger, if available to him. “One innocent man killed is killing the humanity. Read about Yakub Memon before commenting on him. Where are you hiding Tiger? Sharif Saab, I would request you to let us know about Tiger, if you have any information about him,” the actor shared.
The outburst over the conviction via a series of tweets was not sudden, as the actor wanted to express his views for the last three days.
“I’ve been wanting to tweet this for 3 days and was afraid to do so but it involves a man and his family. Don’t hang brother hang the fox who ran away,” added the star.
As Salman’s tweets has snowballed into a controversy, there are reports that security around his residence here has been beefed up. However, Salman’s father Salim Khan criticised his son for tweeting about a serious issue without thinking it through.
“Salman should have thought sensitively before tweeting in support of Yakub,” a media house, Zee Media quoted Salim as saying. Milind Deora, member of parliament from the Mumbai South constituency, tried to clear the confusion over Salman supporting a convict, by saying that the actor wanted to bring the main accused into focus.
“Spoke to @BeingSalmanKhan last evening & today. He doesn’t believe Yakub Memon isn’t guilty & was only spotlighting YM’s brother’s cowardice,” Deora tweeted on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Rahin Memon, the wife of Yakub Memon, the only death-row convict in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, has appealed to the judiciary and the government to commute her husband’s capital punishment to life term. “I have full faith in the judiciary. I ask the Government of India for pardon for Yakub so that his death sentence can be commuted,” she said.
Rahin said she believed that her husband was innocent and had willingly surrendered to the authorities. Rahin said she would be happy even if he was allowed to serve a life sentence.
“I personally believe that (only) someone who is innocent will surrender. But still, if they feel he is not innocent... they should consider that he has surrendered and show him some leniency,” she said.
“My daughter has not been with him (Yakub) for a single day. She is waiting for him to come home so that she can get a chance to be with him,” Rahin added. —