Salman rocks Maharashtra House

Opposition parties in the Maharashtra Legislative Council today demanded the immediate arrest of actor Salman Khan for his alleged connection with the underworld, saying "he was likely to flee the country".

Raising the issue through a point of propriety, Pramod Navalkar (Shiv Sena) said it was a serious issue that the actor had reportedly claimed to have links with the underworld.

The actor was also "blackmailing various filmstars to make them attend the marriage reception of the daughter of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and the son of Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad," he alleged.

"The actor was hiding at his residence yesterday after the news was flashed in the media and is suspected to be planning to leave the country in the next few days," Navalakar said adding, "the state government should initiate action and arrest the actor before he flees." "The state government will be responsible if the actor flees the country," he said.

Nitin Gadkari, state BJP chief, said the issue was serious and had posed a big challenge to the nations' security.

Unsatisfied by the reply of Minister of State for Home Siddhram Mhetre that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had announced a probe, the Opposition urged House Chairman Vasant Davkhare to give directions to the government.

Davkhare asked the state government to probe the issue and make a statement in the House.

'No comments'

Actress Aishwarya Rai, who was threatened and abused allegedly by Salman Khan in an audio tape, had decided not to react to the controversy "for the moment", her lawyer said today.