Pakistan's Big Mouth Ex-Minister Calls Attack on Saif 'Target on Muslims'; INDI Echoes

New Delhi: Fawad Chaudhry, a big-mouth Pakistani minister, shamelessly attempted to politicise and inject religious undertones into the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. Chaudhry used the incident as an opportunity to make baseless claims that Muslim actors in India are under threat.  

"Saif Ali Khan hospitalised: Actor stabbed six times by intruder… Muslim actors are facing serious life threats since the rise of Hindu Mahasabha …. Pakistan must rise for the rights of Indian Muslims", the aide of former PM Imran Khan shared on X (formerly Twitter).  

Echoing similar remarks, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) spokesperson, Waris Pathan said,"Once again a crime happened in Mumbai's Bandra area. Saif Ali Khan was attacked". 

Congress MP Imran Masood similarly attempted to inject a religious angle into the attack, using the incident to further his own political agenda. In the process, he also launched a pointed attack on AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal , criticizing his remarks on the attack. "It is surprising that he (referring to Arvind Kejriwal) is worried about a Muslim from Mumbai. Why is he not worried about a common Muslim from Jahangirpuri who suffered during the riots? What about Muslims who had suffered during CAA riots?"   

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police are examining the CCTV footage showing the intruder who allegedly attacked actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra apartment with a knife escaping through the staircase. The footage, captured at 2.33 am on Thursday, clearly showed the young suspect's face. He is seen wearing a brown collared t-shirt and red scarf or `gamcha' while descending the stairs on the sixth floor of the building. The actor lives on the 12th floor.

A screen grab of the intruder's face as he glanced at the CCTV camera went viral. Police were examining the footage of the entire building premises to get more clues, an official said.

Several teams have been formed to nab the suspect, he added. Besides local police, the crime branch too is conducting a probe.

The attack, which took place around 2.30 am on Thursday after the intruder had somehow gained entry into Khan's flat and was spotted by his house help, left the actor grievously injured with a piece of knife lodged in his spine. He was operated upon at Lilavati Hospital to remove it.

A First Information Report was subsequently registered at Bandra police station on the domestic help's complaint under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 311 (robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 312 (armed robbery), 331 (4) (house break-in or trespass at night) and other relevant provisions, officials said.

The actor's representatives, in a media statement, said it was a "burglary attempt." As per the preliminary probe, the intruder did not force entry or break into the actor's flat in 'Satguru Sharan' building, but possibly sneaked in at some point earlier in the night, a police official said.

Khan's house help, who raised the initial alarm, also suffered a minor knife injury during the incident, police said.