'I see it as an opportunity to help locals': Salman Khan defends Saifai event

After drawing flak for his performance at the Saifai Mahotsav, a cultural extravaganza organised by the Samajwadi Party, actor Salman Khan today defended his decision saying that they (Being Human) would be making contributions to various charity causes.

Writing on his Facebook page , Salman Khan wrote:

Whenever I visit a place for a performance or a promotion, I see it as an opportunity to help the locals in the areas of healthcare or education. In Nagpur, on Sunday, Being Human pledged to fund 100 paediatric cardiac cases in Maharashtra State. 

And in Etawah, Being Human, on behalf of all artists who performed yesterday, has committed to fund 200 paediatric heart surgeries in UP (there is already a wait list of 81 children we have received who are being moved to Fortis Hospital Gurgaon and their surgeries will get done by month end and Being Human is in touch with local NGOs and hospitals for their lists also). 

We have also contributed Rs 25 lakh to the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College & Hospital for the purchase of an Echo Machine, Pediatric & neo natal ventilator and a portable X-ray machine for their paediatric cardiac ICU.

The actor is the second Bollywood personality to defend his performance at the event that has drawn criticism for insensitivity towards those rendered homeless by the Muzaffarnagar riots.

Madhuri Dixit also took to Twitter to defend the event and had also highlighted the contributions that would be made by the artists who performed at the event.