Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane's remarks against recently injured Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan sparked a controversy as he questioned if the injury was just him 'acting'. Rane also claimed that opposition leaders like Jitendra Awhad a💖nd Supriya Sule did not speak up when actor Sushant Singh Rajput passed away in 2020 but expressed their concern about Khan's incident recently.
The incident in question occurred on January 16 when Khan, 54, was attacked in his 12th-floor apartment in Mꦅumbai’s upscale Bandra area during an attempted robbery. The a𝔉ctor suffered multiple stab wounds and was operated upon at Lilavati Hospital before being discharged on January 21.
Police have arrested the intruder who had assumed the alias of Vijay Das in India. He is currently in police custody, and initial investigatꦉions indicate he intended to commit theft at the actor’s home.
The statement from Rane comes a day afteജr former Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam raised questions about the actor’s swift return t🙈o normal life following a six-hour surgery for deep stab wounds.
According to PTI, Nirupam, while commenting on Khan’s recovery on Wednesday, had rais🌺ed questions about the actor’s speedy retur𝓰n to health following a six-hour surgery for deep stab wounds.
“The doctors at Lilavati Hospital said the knife had penetrated 2.5 inches inside Saif Ali Khan's back. They should clarify how a person who underwent such an extensive operation can recover so quickly," Nirupam haဣd reportedlyꦜ remarked.
What Did Maharashtra Minister Nitish Rane Allege?
Rane further spoke on perceived biases, claiming that while many speak out when a ‘Khan’ is attacked, similar attention i𓆏s not given to Hindu actors.
He was referring to late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died by suicide in June 2020, and said that opposition leaders like Jitendra Awhad and Supriya Sule had remained silent on Raj♚put’s case but were now vocal about Khan’s situation.
“Opposition leaders Jitendra Awhad and Supriya Sule did not speak about (late actor) Sushant Singh Rajput. She is concerned only about Saiꦗf Ali Khan,” Rane alleged.
Speaking at a BJP function in Pune, Rane suggested that Khan’s swift recovery from the incident raised doubts ♊about whether the attack was genuine or merely an act.
“🎐The way Saif came out of the hospital, I am won⭕dering if he was really attacked or is he acting,” the minister said.
Accoridng to PTI🅰, Rane referred to ♕the arrest of a Bangladeshi national, Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, who illegally entered India and allegedly attacked Khan.
“Earlier, Bangladeshis entering the country illegally were found on roadsides; now they enter homes,” Rane stated, implying a gr𒊎owing thr⛄eat, and added that “maybe the Bangladeshi intruder wanted to take him away”.
Rane said people should be aware of what’s happening around♔ them.
Opposition Leaders React to Rane's Remarks
The statement of Raneꦚ drew sharp criticism from Congress, which accused the government of mixing religion and politics.
In response, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole condemned Rane’s remarks, labelling them as an attempt to create a “religious di🥀♍vide” and distract from pressing issues.
“Mixing religion and poliಌtics is BJP’s agenda to divert the attentio𓆉n from issues being faced by people,” he said.
He urged police to focus on capturing the actual💦 perpetrator rather than politicising the situation and alleged that there are discrepancies in the probe as some reports suggest that the individual caught on CCTV may not be the same as the one arrested.
“💙Instead of raising Hindu-Muslim angle in law and order situations, police must catch the real culprit🌠. There are reports about the person caught on CCTV and the one arrested (in the Saif attack case) not being the same person.
“Earlier police had detained some lookalikes and released themꦗ. It is sad that cine artists, sarpanch, and common citizens are not safe,” Patole said.
The Congress leader also said the case of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death is with the Central Bureau of𒊎 Investigation (CBI).
“There is a BJP government in the state and at the Centre...why is it that the case hasn’t been 🍎resolved? We had spoken about it that time,” he said.
Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), also said th🔯at “the knife was wedged deep, but Saif wa🍎lked out alive from the hospital. This is nothing short of a miracle by the doctors”.
(With PTI inputs)
