Press Trust of India

MUMBAI, April 3: Actor-politician Govinda has received threats from the underworld, his brother Kirti Kumar said here on Sunday.

"Govinda has been receiving threats...for his family members. We have informed the union Home Ministry and Congress Party High Command. We are confident that the party High Command is taking appropriate steps for the safety of Govinda and family," Kirti Kumar told reporters.

Asked if the threat had come from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, he said the media should not indulge in speculation over the source of the threat.

"Let the investigating agencies do their work. Please do not give rise to speculation as this is a very serious matter," he said.

Former Maharashtra Minister of state for Home Kripashankar Singh said he had spoken to Govinda but the latter declined to discuss the issue in detail.

"He (Govinda) told me that the party high command has been informed of the threats," Singh said.

Govinda, who was elected to Lok Sabha from north Mumbai constituency in 2004, currently has four films scheduled to be released soon.

Centre promises protection

The Centre on Sunday night promised protection to actor-cum-Congress MP Govinda who reportedly received threats from the underworld.

"Whatever is possible, certainly we will do," Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said.

Maintaining that since the actor had received the threat in Mumbai, he said it was the duty of Maharashtra government and the state police to deal with the matter.

Jaiswal said if the Home Ministry received any information, it would act and take precautionary measures.

Congress spokesman Rajiv Shukla said he had spoken to Govinda who did not identify who threatened him. Govinda has informed the Prime Minister, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh about it, Shukla said.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said a threat to an MP in Congress-NCP ruled state proved that law and order had "crumbled".