Mumbai: Former Bollywood actress-turned-spiritual preacher Mamta Kulkarni has issued a clarification on her ‘Dawood Ibrahim did not carry out Mumbai blasts, not a terrorist’ statement, which stirred a major controversy with many criticising her for defending a gangster.
Addressing the backlash, the former Bollywood star clarified that her statement was misinterpreted, twisted, and taken out of context. “I was referring to Vicky Goswami, not Dawood Ibrahim. Dawood is indeed a terrorist,” she told reporters on Thursday.
Mamta, a popular actor from the 90s known for her role in the film Karan Arjun, further emphasised that she has no connection with Dawood and that she never intended to justify or support him in any way. “I have no connection with politics or the film industry now. I am completely devoted to spirituality. As a staunch follower of Sanatan Dharma, it is impossible for me to have any association with anti-national elements,” she maintained.
She had made the controversial remarks while speaking to the media on Tuesday during her three-day spiritual tour to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Dawood is one of the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which killed 257 people and injured thousands. The underworld don has been on the run since the late 80s. He reportedly escaped to Dubai, and has been living in Karachi for over two decades now.
Goswami, who was arrested for drug trafficking and jailed in the past, was linked with Mamta. In 2016, Thane Police named her as one of the accused in a Rs 2000 crore international drug racket. The charges were dropped eight years later with the Bombay High Court deeming the proceedings “manifestly frivolous and vexatious.”
The former actress, who quit the industry in 2002, has been living as a seer for the last few years.