“I will never participate in any protest again…” — Imran Khan tenders an apology in the Bombay High Court.
Description: Bollywood actor Imran Khan has offered an unconditional apology for participating in a protest in Mumbai. He has assured the Bombay High Court that he will not take part in any such protests in the future. The Bombay High Court was hearing a petition filed by Imran against a ‘Leave India’ notice issued to him; the court had directed him to tender an unconditional apology. Bollywood actor Imran Khan had received a notice to leave India, issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). During the hearing, the court bench remarked, “The allegations are extremely serious. You are an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholder and cannot act like an Indian citizen; you have no right to speak on such matters. You had no business participating in a protest. You have lived here since childhood and have become a Bollywood star—why not simply accept Indian citizenship?” The court further observed, “Consider India’s magnanimity: instead of immediately deporting an American citizen, you were simply issued a notice to leave the country. Had an Indian citizen done something similar abroad, they would have been put on the very next flight back to India. You are here at the country’s discretion; therefore, you cannot criticize it.” After the court’s observations, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Venkatesh Dhond, stated, “The actor has no connection to any of the protesting organizations; he has neither been questioned nor served with a summons. All the charges are bailable. I have photocopies of his American passport and OCI card—he holds American citizenship by virtue of being born there, but he has spent his entire life here. He previously held a PIO card; he has lived here since childhood, got married here, and has worked in Bollywood films. The protesting group included several individuals, among them a descendant of Gandhiji. My client is prepared to provide an undertaking to the court that he will not participate in any future protests.”
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