Several Indian expatriates have slammed Bollywood star Salman Khan for appearing to support controversial Indian prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Critics say Khan recently appeared to have a good time at a kite flying festival in Gujarat with Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, and at an event in Saifai in Uttar Pradesh (UP), not far from Muzaffarnagar, where the UP government is allegedly not doing enough for the Muslim victims of last year’s riots.

Some Muslims have even called on the public to boycott “Jai Ho,” Khan’s latest film.

Hameed Sultan, a resident of Dammam, said: “It was surprising to see Khan calling Modi a good person, praising him, and showing support for a man most Muslims hate,” adding that Khan has surely disappointed many Muslim fans.

“While Modi was cleared by a special investigating team of provoking rioters and being involved in the violence, this has not changed how many Muslims view him,” he said.

Nasr Syed, a Jeddah resident, said: “Most people in the Kingdom might not be concerned and want to boycott his movie, but what concerns me the most is that he speaks about being human and supports Modi, who has been held responsible for the communal riots during his governorship when hundreds of Muslims were killed. It surely portrays his values toward humanity.”

Another resident of Jeddah, Sayeed, said: “Any reasonable person would not have done it. Khan’s fans and the Muslim parties in India can definitely have objections. He has upset people here and in India.”

Ahmed, based in Riyadh, said: “Although I’m a big fan of his personality and acting, I am sorry to say that he has tarnished his image.”

He said that Khan’s movie might be affected by the call from Parliament member Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad and a youth group in Aligarh urging Muslims not to buy tickets for Jai Ho.

Majeed Syed, based in Jubail, said: “With Khan being a famous and controversial celebrity, it was clear that such news was going to be hyped by the media. I consider it a cheap publicity stunt.”

Some Indian residents have not called for a boycott of Khan’s movie, but believe he should have considered the sentiments of his Muslim fans before accepting Modi’s invitation.