
Amid Bollywood’s tweets for Salman Khan, jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali and singer Abhijeet upset other Twitter users with posts blaming the government for failing to provide people with housing and suggesting this forced people like the hit-and-run victims to sleep on footpaths.
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Khan Ali tweeted, “The govt should be responsible for housing ppl. If no1 was sleeping on d road in any other country Salman wuld not have driven over anybody”; and “It’s like penalising a train driver because someone decided to cross the tracks and got killed in the bargain. #salmankhancase”.
A sad day personally for me to know that Salman Khan has been convicted with maximum punishment. @BeingSalmanKhan
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
Her tweets were swiftly shared and criticised. Farah Khan Ali later appeared to retreat, saying “And I never said that Salman was faultless. I said 5 yrs is very harsh punishment. He should get less Bec he is a good citizen otherwise.”
Salman is responsible for the lively hood of many people at large and the judgement is too harsh. I hope he gets some reprive in appeal. — Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
I have a right to my opinion whether any1 here likes it or not just like u have a right 2 urs.I do wish Salman does not get max punishment
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
So abusing me &calling me names 4 my opinion doesnt make me a diff bec I will say it whether u like it or not.Dont want to read,dont follow — Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
Farah Khan Ali sympathised with the victims who suffered in the mishap but held that Salman Khan is a genuinely good human being.
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Prayers for Salman and all families affected by this judgement. God is great. @BeingSalmanKhan . Keep faith
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
I do feel sorry for the victim and his family and did not say that there should be no punishment. However I feel it should not be maximum. — Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
Salman is genuinely a very good human being and he made a mistake. He did not intentionally want to kill someone & now he has to pay a price
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
But to put him away for a very long time is not something I would want to happen to him bec he is responsible for the livelihood of so many — Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
Maybe my opinion stems frm d fact tht he is a friend & I know his family but I will still maintain my stand &pray he does nt serve max time
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
In more shocking tweets, Farah Khan Ali further went on to compare the verdict to a penalising a train driver for a death that occurred when somebody crossed the tracks.
The govt should be responsible for housing ppl.If no 1was sleeping on d road in any other country Salman wuld not have driven over anybody. — Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
It’s like penalising a train driver because someone decided to cross the tracks and got killed in the bargain. #salmankhancase
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
No one should be sleeping on the road or footpath. It is dangerous to do that just like it is dangerous to cross tracks. — Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
Farah then ended the series of tweets by thanking followers for their opinions and abuses.
Anyway thank u for ur opinions abuses et all. Ur always welcome just like I am entitled 2 voice mine.Will pray tht Salman gets som reprieve
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
The jewellery designer then attempted to clarify her posts, saying that she was not mocking the poor for sleeping on the pavement, nor did she claim that Salman Khan was without fault.
My ppl not sleeping on the road tweet is meant to mock the govt not d poor ppl Bec every govt is responsible to provide housing to its ppl
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
And I never said that Salman was faultless. I said 5 yrs is very harsh punishment. He should get less Bec he is a good citizen otherwise
— Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) May 6, 2015
Abhijeet, meanwhile, tweeted that roads were meant for “cars and dogs and not for people sleeping on them”. He reached out to the film fraternity to support Khan and attacked the homeless by saying, “Kutta rd pe soyega kutte ki maut marega, roads garib ke baap ki nahi hai I ws homles an year nvr slept on rd” (If a dog sleeps on the road, he will die a dog’s death). He also asked why the victims were sleeping on the Mumbai roads and not in their villages.
Kutta rd pe soyega kutte ki maut marega, roads garib ke baap ki nahi hai I ws homles an year nvr slept on rd @BeingSalmanKhan @sonakshisinha
— abhijeet (@abhijeetsinger) May 6, 2015
Mumbai ke road Aur footpath pe sone ka shauk hai ?? Y not at your village no vehicles to kill u.. Support @BeingSalmanKhan @sonakshisinha
— abhijeet (@abhijeetsinger) May 6, 2015
Suicide is crime so is sleeping on footpath..80% homeles film ppl strugld achievd stardom but never slept on footpath @BeingSalmanKhan
— abhijeet (@abhijeetsinger) May 6, 2015
Other Bollywood celebrities simply expressed sympathy. Arjun Kapoor said it didn’t matter what anyone or any court said and that the actor didn’t deserve his fate. Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Rishi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Sushmita Sen expressed their support. Preity Zinta was “shattered” by the verdict and hoped “the court sees @BeingSalmanKhan has helped & saved hundreds of people over the years.”
Terrible news. Dnt knw wht to say except tht will stand by @BeingSalmanKhan no matter what. Hes a good man and no 1 can tk tht away frm him.
— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) May 6, 2015
Hurts to think of what could happen. We will always be with you. Hope the judge sees the beauty of a human being that Salman Khan is.
— Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) May 6, 2015
I won’t comment on the courts judgement. But salman Bhai has the biggest heart and is the most helpful person in this industry
— Varun SURESH Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) May 6, 2015
Prayers n strength 4 my friend @BeingSalmanKhan n his family. Harsh sentencing doesn’t mean justice. Must appeal. Deeply saddened.
— sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) May 6, 2015
It hurts when your own are punished, even if they are in the wrong. We love you and are standing by you
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) May 6, 2015
Alia Bhatt was among the few who accepted Salman was in the wrong: “‘It hurts when your own are punished, even if they are in the wrong. We love you and are standing by you”.
When the actor was granted interim bail for two days, Saroj Khan tweeted: “@BeingSalmanKhan you r a winner. You will b a winner ! #SalmanKhanVerdict #salmangetsbail.”