Politicians meeting Salman Khan after conviction undesirable, says Sharad Pawar

NCP President Sharad Pawar on Friday strongly disapproved of "enthusiasm" shown by certain politicians in calling on Bollywood superstar Salman Khan at his residence after his conviction in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

"After the Sessions Court verdict on Wednesday, there were some politicians who became overenthusiastic and visited Salman Khan at his residence. This was undesirable. "Why do politicians need to show interest in this (Khan) case when the courts have already passed their judgement? Whatever their personal relations may be with Salman, they should not be displaying it this way," Pawar told reporters in Ratnagiri district in Konkan region.

A day after he was awarded five-year imprisonment in the case, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had met Khan and his family members at his residence in suburban Bandra. Congress MLA Nitesh Rane, too, met the actor the same day. Nitesh, son of senior Maharashtra Congress leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, had described his meeting with the superstar as "personal".

Asked to comment on the issue, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan avoided a direct reply and said people have personal relations and they are free to express their sentiments. Besides politicians, a slew of prominent Bollywood personalities had called on Khan, who was granted interim bail for two days by Bombay High Court after he was convicted and sentenced on May 6. Today, the High Court suspended his sentence and granted him bail.