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| Sanjay Dutt says he is ready to serve prison term for 1993 arms offences | Sanjay Dutt says he is ready to serve prison term for 1993 arms offences |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who is facing three-and-a-half years in prison for acquiring an assault rifle supplied by the same Mumbai gangsters who carried out the 1993 serial bombings that killed 257 people, denied that he had asked for clemency and said he was ready to go to jail next month. | The Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who is facing three-and-a-half years in prison for acquiring an assault rifle supplied by the same Mumbai gangsters who carried out the 1993 serial bombings that killed 257 people, denied that he had asked for clemency and said he was ready to go to jail next month. |
| Responding to a nationwide debate in India on whether he should be pardoned by the state after being sentenced by the supreme court, Dutt told journalists at his home on Thursday: "There are many other people who deserve pardon. I just want to say with folded hands that when I'm not going for a pardon then there's no debate about it." | Responding to a nationwide debate in India on whether he should be pardoned by the state after being sentenced by the supreme court, Dutt told journalists at his home on Thursday: "There are many other people who deserve pardon. I just want to say with folded hands that when I'm not going for a pardon then there's no debate about it." |
| The actor broke down twice in a brief, three-minute address to reporters, with his sister, Priya Dutt, a Congress MP, consoling and hugging him. "I love my country and I love the citizens of my country and I love India, I love India," said Dutt, as he sobbed on his older sister's shoulder. | The actor broke down twice in a brief, three-minute address to reporters, with his sister, Priya Dutt, a Congress MP, consoling and hugging him. "I love my country and I love the citizens of my country and I love India, I love India," said Dutt, as he sobbed on his older sister's shoulder. |
| He then left for the studio to the set of one of his films in which he plays a police officer. About 3bn rupees (£36m) is said to be tied up in Dutt's current film projects. | He then left for the studio to the set of one of his films in which he plays a police officer. About 3bn rupees (£36m) is said to be tied up in Dutt's current film projects. |
| Ever since Markandey Katju, a retired supreme court judge who now heads the Press Council of India, appealed for clemency for the Bollywood actor, there has been intense public debate on what should be done with Dutt. | Ever since Markandey Katju, a retired supreme court judge who now heads the Press Council of India, appealed for clemency for the Bollywood actor, there has been intense public debate on what should be done with Dutt. |
| Besides Dutt's Bollywood friends, Katju is supported by an array of secular liberals, including Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal state. | Besides Dutt's Bollywood friends, Katju is supported by an array of secular liberals, including Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal state. |
| Equally vocal is the opposition to the clemency demand, emanating mostly from the rightwing Hindu camp. | Equally vocal is the opposition to the clemency demand, emanating mostly from the rightwing Hindu camp. |
| "Dutt is only trying to douse the adverse reaction in the country [to the clemency demand] by declaring that he isn't asking for a pardon," said Mohan Guruswamy, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a Delhi thinktank. "It's a well-managed campaign, but if Dutt is pardoned it will set a bad precedent." | "Dutt is only trying to douse the adverse reaction in the country [to the clemency demand] by declaring that he isn't asking for a pardon," said Mohan Guruswamy, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a Delhi thinktank. "It's a well-managed campaign, but if Dutt is pardoned it will set a bad precedent." |
| Guruswamy felt that rightwing Hindu leaders were justified in opposing clemency, even though the record of their own parties relating to Dutt's case was nothing to boast about. | Guruswamy felt that rightwing Hindu leaders were justified in opposing clemency, even though the record of their own parties relating to Dutt's case was nothing to boast about. |
| After his original arrest in 1993 , Dutt had turned for help to India's Hindu nationalist leaders, including Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then prime minister from the BJP. Vajpayee even met Dutt in New York in 1999 when the actor was on bail, said Guruswamy. | After his original arrest in 1993 , Dutt had turned for help to India's Hindu nationalist leaders, including Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then prime minister from the BJP. Vajpayee even met Dutt in New York in 1999 when the actor was on bail, said Guruswamy. |
| So it is not clear why Hindu nationalists, who were generally supportive of Dutt then, are now calling for his imprisonment. Balveer Arora, a political analyst, believes that general elections next year may have something to do with it. | So it is not clear why Hindu nationalists, who were generally supportive of Dutt then, are now calling for his imprisonment. Balveer Arora, a political analyst, believes that general elections next year may have something to do with it. |
| "All the political parties are in pre-election mode, so their reactions to Dutt's case remain partisan," he said. | "All the political parties are in pre-election mode, so their reactions to Dutt's case remain partisan," he said. |
| "Whether it's the BJP [with its Hindu following] or Mamata Banerjee [who has strong Muslim support in West Bengal], everything gets polarised and interpreted in terms of party interest." | "Whether it's the BJP [with its Hindu following] or Mamata Banerjee [who has strong Muslim support in West Bengal], everything gets polarised and interpreted in terms of party interest." |
| Arora believes there is no way Dutt can avoid jail altogether. "The ruling Congress party will be accused of 'appeasing Muslims'," said Arora. "But maybe after a year when things cool down he could be let off. What is needed though is a graded amnesty scheme – there are other accused in the case more deserving of clemency. But that's not going to happen." | Arora believes there is no way Dutt can avoid jail altogether. "The ruling Congress party will be accused of 'appeasing Muslims'," said Arora. "But maybe after a year when things cool down he could be let off. What is needed though is a graded amnesty scheme – there are other accused in the case more deserving of clemency. But that's not going to happen." |
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