Terrorists Threaten Bollywood’s Khans

A Bollywood minus the Khans! It’s unimaginable, but that is what the Indian Mujahideen rebels want.

A 14-page e-mail from the outfit, which claimed the responsibility for Saturday’s terror strikes in Ahmedabad, has warned Muslim actors in Bollywood against working in movies, as it is “against the tenets of Islam”.

None of the Bollywood biggies were available for comment. Joint commissioner of police and chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad Hemant Karkare said that police were not aware of any specific Bollywood personality being targeted by the terrorists. Nor had any of the stars asked for special protection, he added.

Not just the abhinetas, the netas and corporate bosses too were staring down the barrel. The e-mail from Indian Mujahideen had warned some top politicians and business heads in the city with dire consequences, sending the authorities in a mad scramble to beef up security.

The militant outfit, believed to be a shadow amalgam of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), warned chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and his deputy, RR Patil, to stop “targeting minority communities” or to face “dire consequences”.

“We wonder at your memory. Have you forgotten the evening of July 11, 2006 so quickly and so easily?” the e-mail has warned.

Reliance Industries Limited head Mukesh Ambani’s name also figured in the e-mail. He has been asked to “think twice before usurping and building a citadel on Waqf Board land … Lest it will turn into horrifying memories for you, which you will never ever forget.”

The Uttar Pradesh Bar Council too has been threatened for its stand of not taking up cases of Muslims.

Police were tight-lipped about the special arrangements being made to cope with the threat.

“We are going through the the e-mail, and will take action accordingly. We are also looking at providing adequate security to Bollywood personalities,” said a senior police official on condition of anonymity.