I will not be joining any political party: Sanjay Dutt

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday denied a Maharashtra minister's claim that he would be joining politics soon.

On Sunday, state Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Mahadev Jankar announced that Dutt will join his party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), on September 25.

The 60-year-old actor, who earlier dabbled in politics as part of the Samajwadi Party, clarified that he wished Jankar luck but would not be joining any party.

"I will not be joining any political party. Mr Jankar is a dear friend and brother of mine and I humbly wish him good luck for his future endeavours," Dutt said in a one-line statement to the media.

Jankar had said the RSP, a junior ally of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra, was tapping the film industry to expand the party organisation.

"We have started working in the film sector as well to expand our party. As part of which, actor Sanjay Dutt is also joining the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh on September 25," he said.

Dutt was a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 but withdrew after the court refused to suspend his conviction under the Arms Act.

The actor-producer was later appointed as general secretary but resigned and eventually left the party.

Reports of Dutt joining politics also started ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but he had denied the reports.

The actor's father, the late Sunil Dutt, won the elections from Mumbai North West constituency as a Congress leader for five terms. The film veteran served as the minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the UPA-I government during 2004-May 2005 before his death.

Dutt's sister Priya Dutt is also a former MP of the Congress from Mumbai.