On Sunday, Salman had posted a series of tweets suggesting that Yakub was innocent and should not be hanged for the acts of his brother Tiger Memon, which sparked protests outside his home where police had to be deployed.
Also, outrage on social media and criticism from his father Salim Khan led Salman to withdraw his tweets and apologise.
"Every person can have an opinion and should have an opinion. What Salman tweeted was very clear in what he said and with the feedback that he got, he took it back. Most of the people have reacted to the tweets without understanding the tweets. He respected the judiciary," Riteish told reporters here at an event.
Also, Riteish feels that Bollywood celebrities have become soft targets.
"Many a times Bollywood celebrities do become soft targets. So we as actors shy away from giving away opinions in public domain. If you take the side of A or B and it affects one side... But everyone has a right to have an opinion," he added.