Trigger Warning: This article contains references to firing, shooting, killing, and weapons which could be triggering for some readers. 

Members of the Bishnoi community in Jaipur staged a protest on Saturday (October 27, 2024) by burning effigies of actor Salman Khan and his father, screenwriter Salim Khan. This demonstration was fueled by outrage over Salim Khan’s perceived “misleading” comments regarding the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

The Bishnoi community holds the blackbuck sacred, and their leaders emphasized the importance of accountability from the actor, stating that they do not defame anyone just like that. 

According to the Hindustan Times, members of the Bishnoi community assembled in Jaipur on October 27 to protest against the father-son duo. They expressed that as Bishnois, they do not slander anyone without reason.

They noted that when the case was filed 26 years ago, several prominent figures, including the MLA from the Bishnoi community at the time, were present.

The group stated, “Salim Khan cannot mislead people by giving false statements. The entire community was hurt by Salim Khan’s statement. We will make all-out efforts to ensure justice was delivered in the Blackbuck case. We will also protest by taking to the streets”. 

In a recent interview with ABP, Salim Khan asserted that Salman is innocent and could never harm an animal.

The poaching incident, which occurred in Rajasthan in 1998, led to a significant controversy; although Salman was acquitted, the Bishnoi community continues to demand an apology from the actor. 

The protest follows a series of death threats issued by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi against both Salman and Salim. Lawrence has stated that his animosity towards Salman stems from the blackbuck poaching case and has insisted that Salman visit the Bishnoi community temple in Rajasthan to seek forgiveness, threatening severe repercussions if he fails to do so. Earlier this year, shooters from Lawrence’s gang even fired shots outside Salman’s residence.

In response to these threats, the Mumbai Police have ramped up security measures for Salman. Authorities have indicated that the recent murder of MLA Baba Siddique, who was a friend of Salman’s, may also be connected to the ongoing conflict between Lawrence Bishnoi and Salman Khan. 

Rajinikanth’s Vettaiyan and Suriya’s Kanguva were going to clash in theaters during the festival of Dussehra. The latter backed out citing that he respects Thalaivar and that he should get a solo release. Following this, Rajinikanth was invited to the Kanguva audio launch, however, due to scheduling conflicts, he couldn’t make it. But the superstar ensured his presence at the event and sent a video message to the team.

In the video, Rajinikanth shared that he missed the event as he had some other commitments. He further went on to praise Gnanavel Raja and his vision. He said, “Gnanavel knows everything about cinema. He knows how to promote a film.” 

Talking about director Siva, Rajinikanth mentioned that even though they have done one film together, Annaatthe, they share a connection as if they had worked together on dozens of projects. 

Thalaivar reflected on Siva’s skillful approach to filmmaking, noting how he managed to shoot the entire film, including the large-scale Kolkata scenes in Annaatthe, within a studio setup. He went on to share that Kanguva was initially envisioned as a project for him.

He said, “Actually, during the filming of Annaatthe, I spoke to Siva, and asked if he could write a period film for me. He was pumped up about it too, and I think this movie was written for me. It then reached Gnanavel and Suriya.”