Mumbai: Asserting that Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s controversial comment over rape had no acceptable rationale behind it, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said that the actor must apologise and admit that he made a gross error.
Salman Khan landed in trouble for saying that after the shooting of a particular scene for his upcoming film Sultan he was barely able to walk, feeling like a ‘raped woman’
Speaking to ANI here, BJP spokesperson Shaina NC said that Salman must be condemned for his bizarre and incorrect analogy and also demanded an apology from him.
“Rape is an exertion of power. Rape is disrespecting women’s self esteem and showing that a suppressor oppresses a woman. I don’t think this analogy is correct. Salman must be condemned for his statement and he must apologise,” she said.
Further stating that Salman was an actor known for respecting women, Shaina said that he must live up to his reputation and apologise for his wrongly intended statement.
“This is not a question for his women followers or fans, this is about every self respecting man, respecting a woman, not just in the 21st century for her capability, but also in terms of her physical attribute. There is no rationale here,” she said.
Meanwhile, a chorus has grown demanding Salman’s apology from social activists, politicians and the general masses alike.
During his interaction with entertainment website spotboye.com , Salman was asked about his experience of playing a wrestler in his upcoming film Sultan, and he said that he felt like a “raped woman”.
“While shooting, during those six hours, there’d be so much of lifting and thrusting on the ground involved. That was tough for me because if I was lifting, I’d have to lift the same 120-kilo guy 10 times for 10 different angles. And likewise, get thrown that many times on the ground. This act is not repeated that many times in the real fights in the ring. When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight. I would eat and then, head right back to training. That couldn’t stop,” he was quoted as saying.
Former National Commission for Women (NCW) member Shamina Shafiq lambasted Salman and said that such a statement was not expected from an actor of his stature.
“How can somebody make such a statement in such a casual manner as far as women dignity is concerned? I am appalled at the mentality of the star. He is a star. People look up to him for the so called good deeds he does on screen,” she said.
However, women activist Kavita Krishnan denied the need for an apology, saying this kind of apology is fairly meaningless and there is no point in that.
“After such an upsurge of remarks people tend to say, ‘Oh! I am very sorry because I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’. I think that kind of apology is fairly meaningless and there is no point in that,” Krishnan told ANI.
While various women activists have raised their voice against the comment made by Salman, some termed it a miscommunication because of the way the actor had expressed it. (ANI)