Muslims safe in India, need to put behind Gujarat riots: Salim

Bollywood scriptwriter Salim Khan feels Muslims need to put behind the memories of 2002 Gujarat riots and move forward while insisting that the community finds itself safe in the country.

"When my mother died I felt I won’t be able to live but I am alive today, even my father died long back. Should I cry till now? No one can justify that (the riots). It should never happen. I am sure Mr Modi has learnt the lesson and that no one will die in his regime," Salim, father of superstar Salman Khan, said.

"The Muslims find themselves safe in this country. They only need basic amenities, job, education, food," he said.

Salim, who called himself a former Congress loyalist, however, said he was disappointed with the party.

"I was a Congress loyal...I used to vote for them. I am disappointed with them on certain issues. But even if today they have any good candidate then I will support them," he said.

He also said it is not the party but people who are secular.

"No party is secular, people are secular. I am secular. In my family, there are people following different religions. For me all religions are one," he said.

Salim, a Muslim, is married to Sushila, a Maharashtrian Hindu, and yester year Bollywood actress Helen, daughter of an Anglo Indian father and Burmese mother.

Khan said political parties had offered him tickets several times to contest elections but he was not interested.

"I have friends in BJP, Shiv Sena as well. I have been offered ticket to contest elections but I am not interested in this," he said.

Salim's eldest son superstar Salman Khan had visited Gujarat recently to promote his film ‘Jai Ho’ and met BJP's prime ministerial aspirant Narendra Modi.

 The two appeared to have hit it off well as they appeared on national television flying kites after savouring a Gujarati lunch, but Salman had steered clear of publicly endorsing Modi as future PM.