When there was controversy over Salman Khan’s presence in the 100th anniversary program of RSS, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde defended him. He said that actors are Indian citizens and respect the culture.
Eknath Shinde defends Salman Khan: The presence of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at the ‘Naye Kshitij’ program organized on the 100th anniversary of RSS in Mumbai has sparked a new controversy on social media. The Dabangg star is not only receiving criticism from Muslims but also praise from his sexual fans.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde defended Salman Khan on this and called it a citizenship issue rather than politics. Speaking to ANI, Shinde dismissed the criticism and emphasized his identity as an Indian citizen, placing Salman’s presence above any politicization.
Shinde said, “What kind of question is it whether Salman Khan attends an RSS event or not? Salman Khan is an Indian citizen. He has Lord Ganesha in his house, he respects our culture, and so does his family.” He stressed that public figures participating in cultural events should not be bound by political discussions.
The event marked a milestone for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, marking its centenary journey and future direction. In his address, Mohan Bhagwat highlighted the influence of Bollywood stars on young Indians and gave the example of Salman Khan.
Bhagwat said, “College students copy Salman Khan’s fashion. When they are asked why, they say they don’t know – Salman is doing it. The trend of good values in the society should become fashion.” He suggested that celebrities can use their popularity to give positive social messages.
More information about the RSS program
Many well-known personalities from the film industry attended the two-day event. Along with Salman Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, filmmakers Mohit Suri, Subhash Ghai, Nitish Tiwari, Mahavir Jain, Om Raut, Vikram Malhotra and lyricist Prasoon Joshi were also present on the first day. Filmmakers Karan Johar and Ananya Panday were also present along with Akshay Kumar and Vicky Kaushal on the second day.
Other prominent names like Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Rupali Ganguly and Vineet Kumar Singh were also seen at the event. Filmmakers Nitish Tiwari, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aanand L Rai, Amar Kaushik, Amit Sharma, Ramesh Taurani and Anand Pandit were also present. In many pictures going viral on social media, the stars are seen sitting in the audience during the sessions.