An activist working among the homeless has called for a boycott of films of those supporting Bollywood star Salman Khan, who has got a five-year jail term for killing a homeless man.
Indu Prakash Singh, convenor of the National Forum for Housing Rights (NFHR), said Wednesday's verdict by a Mumbai court against Salman "needs to be celebrated, not condemned".
"Bollywood support for Salman and comments like (those) of Abhijeet needs to be condemned," he said in a statement.
"It seems Bollywood doesn't live in India. And is above the constitution. Is it so? If so, let's all boycott Bollywood films, especially of those people who are condemning the jail sentence given to Salman Khan."
He added: "Salman committed a crime and justice spares none. Glad that our judiciary is still upright and fearless."
A car driven by Salman hit a bakery in Mumbai's Bandra area in September 2002, crushing a 38-year-old man who was sleeping on the pavement and also injuring four others.
On Wednesday, after the court verdict, a host of Bollywood personalities came out in support of Salman. Singer Abhijeet condemned those sleeping on pavements. Later, Salman was given interim bail till Friday.
Indu Prakash Singh asked: "Why is it that always the rich are preferred all the time? And the poor pay for no crime committed by them, except their poverty.
"Do the poor have no claim to the city that they have made with their own sweat and labour?
"Nobody has the right to mow down anyone, on the roads, footpaths, be it even a dog. And all criminals need to be booked earlier than later, as in the case of Salman Khan," he said.
SC moved seeking cancellation of Salman's bail
The Supreme Court may hear a plea by a Mumbai lawyer seeking cancellation of the two-day bail granted to Bollywood star Salman Khan.
The plea was mentioned on Thursday before the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu by advocate V. Mishra, appearing for petitioner Akhilesh Chaubey.
The petitioner sought direction that Salman's bail should be cancelled and it should be heard by the competent court in regular course.
He also sought framing of guidelines so that the manner in which the Bombay High Court granted the two-day bail to Salman on Wednesday could be availed of by others too.
A lower court in Mumbai earlier on Wednesday sentenced Salman to five years in jail for a hit-and-run accident that killed a man sleeping on the pavement in September 2002.
