Was Saif really attacked, wonders minister Nitesh Rane

Pune, Jan 23 (PTI) Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane sparked a controversy on Thursday after he raised questions over the knife attack on Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan wondering if the Bollywood star was “really attacked or if he was acting”.

The statement from Rane comes a day after former Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam raised questions about the actor’s swift return to normal life following a six-hour surgery for deep stab wounds.

Rane further spoke on perceived biases, claiming that while many speak out when a ‘Khan’ is attacked, similar attention is 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 Rajput’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 Saif Ali Khan,” Rane alleged.

The statement of Rane 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 divide” and distract from pressing issues.

“Mixing religion and politics is BJP’s agenda to divert the attention 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 them. 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 of 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.

Speaking here at a BJP function, 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 wondering if he was really attacked or is he acting,” the minister said.

The incident in question occurred on January 16 when Khan, 54, was attacked in his 12th-floor apartment in Mumbai’s upscale Bandra area during an attempted robbery. The actor suffered multiple stab wounds and was operated upon at Lilavati Hospital before being discharged on Tuesday.

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 growing threat, and added that “maybe the Bangladeshi intruder wanted to take him away”.

Police have arrested the intruder who had assumed the alias of Vijay Das in India. He is currently in police custody, and initial investigations indicate he intended to commit theft at the actor’s home.

Rane said people should be aware of what’s happening around them.

Nirupam, while commenting on Khan’s recovery on Wednesday, had raised questions about the actor’s speedy return 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 had remarked.

Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), also said that “the knife was wedged deep, but Saif walked out alive from the hospital. This is nothing short of a miracle by the doctors”.