June 05, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 30, 1429

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, out of jail on bail for a weapons conviction, is considering a move into politics in forthcoming general elections, a report said on Wednesday.

Dutt’s family has had a long association with politics and his father, Sunil Dutt, spent almost two decades in parliament as an MP for the Congress party and also served as a federal sports minister before his death in 2005.

“My father has done social work all his life. Why shouldn’t I too do the same as a social servant? Why should I be deprived of an opportunity?” Dutt told the Times of India newspaper.

Sanjay’s sister Priya Dutt was elected as a Congress MP for her father’s constituency in northwest Mumbai, where India’s prolific film industry is based.

“I am sure the party (Congress) will give both of us tickets from two different seats,” Dutt was quoted as saying.

Sanjay Dutt, known for his roles as a tough guy, is one of Bollywood’s most popular and bankable stars -- despite his criminal conviction.

Last year the 48-year-old, a former heavy drug user, was found guilty of possessing illegal weapons that he bought from men accused of plotting serial blasts in Mumbai in 1993, which killed more than 250 people.

He was sentenced to six years in jail, but is out on bail pending an appeal.

Last week there were reports that some Mumbai residents had started a petition against Dutt standing for elections because of his conviction.

But he dismissed any whiff of a scandal.

“This theory has been started by people with vested interests. If I get a chance, I will do my best for the people of these areas,” he told the paper.

Convicted criminals are not barred from standing for office in India.

A study by an Indian watchdog found that nearly a quarter of the 542 people elected to the federal parliament in 2004 had faced criminal charges, including murder and rape.-—AFP