Jodhpur: Former Pakistani-American actor Somy Ali’s appeal to Bishnois to pardon her Bollywood colleague and friend Salman Khanfor poaching blackbucks in 1998 has divided the Rajasthan community, which holds the wildlife species sacred and has been fighting a legal battle against him for 25 years.

Akhil Bhartiya Bishnoi Mahasabha (ABBM), led by Devendra Budia, has offered to consider Salman’s apology in response to Somy’s plea. Budia on Monday said, “Among the 29 rules of our community, one is forgiveness. If Salman Khan comes to our temple, sits with the community members, takes an oath to protect the environment and wildlife, and ma kes an apology, we can think over it.”

Its splinter group Bishnoi Tiger Force (BTF), however, has said there is no room for forgiveness. In a video, BTF president Rampal Bhawa refers to Budia’s statement as being unwarranted and aimed at weakening Bishnoi community’s spirit in its fight against poaching.

In 2018, Salman was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail. Currently, he is out on bail. Last week, in an interview with a media house, Somy said she didn’t support hunting, but appealed to the Bishnoi community to forget what happened in 1998 during a film shoot and move on. She sought forgiveness on behalf of the actor, whose Mumbai home was attacked recently by gunmen linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.