Bollywood actor Salman Khan, sentenced to five years in jail in chinkara poaching case, should be made the face of wildlife protection, said activist-cum-actress Nafisa Ali.
"Well, that should be his punishment. His real-life experience will help pass the message. We need productive members in our society, where people like Salman get a second chance to pass on a positive message," said the former Miss India.
"Poachers are the biggest threat to the wildlife," said the actress.
"Salman has just been made an example, and it's nothing but heart-breaking," Nafisa said on the sidelines of an art exhibition in New Delhi.
Nafisa said celebrities were being targeted for their status and popularity. "That's due to the system of celebrityhood, but it's getting counter-productive than being otherwise," she said.
"Some people are doing it for their share of '15 minutes of fame' as they get to read about themselves. That's what it is all about," she said.
Recently, a policeman was suspended for hugging Sanjay Dutt, when the actor came out of Yerwada jail in Pune. She said it wasn't right to punish the constable for getting 'Munnabhai's jaadu ki jhappi'.
"It's senior police officers' job to tell his subordinates about the protocol,'' she said and defended Sanjay Dutt by saying, "Dutt is not a criminal or terrorist. Instead, he's a highly loved human being and a role model in India."
