Actor and member of Parliament from North Mumbai, Govinda, who has been shown in a video footage with Dawood Ibrahim, denied on Thursday that he had any links with the underworld don and said that he was being framed in a conspiracy by his rivals.
Claiming that he had been a victim of underworld pressure himself, Govinda said he had performed in Dubai under pressure and had been cleared by the Central Bureau of Investigations, Criminal Investigation Department and the police way back in 1989.
"A chance meeting does not mean having links (with Dawood)," Govinda said, reacting to the footage telecast by India TV on Wednesday night.
"I am disturbed myself...An artist is just picked up and taken to perform for someone under pressure and then one is not even given money," said an anguished Govinda."There were upto 25 artists who had been taken to Dubai."
Without questioning the authenticity of the footage, he said "What is baffling is why has only my footage been shown? Why not those of others? Instead of sympathising with me, I am being framed."
