During the episode, Salman took the opportunity to scold Abhishek Bajaj for allegedly provoking Amaal while the singer was unwell. Salman pointed out that Abhishek intentionally sat on Amaal’s bed, banged utensils, and tried to provoke him. He also claimed that the controversial “sursuri” remark was misunderstood by Kunickaa, emphasizing that Amaal had directed it at Abhishek, not Ashnoor. However, instead of holding both parties accountable, Salman appeared to heavily favor Amaal, defending his actions and even praising his composure during the altercation.
This approach didn’t sit well with many viewers. Fans accused Salman of deliberately ignoring Amaal’s alleged personal insults about Abhishek’s father and only portraying him as the victim. One viewer tweeted, "Salman Khan didn’t even watch all the episodes. Makers are clearly feeding him a script to protect Amaal Mallik.” Another user wrote, “Every year he shields people connected to the industry. This time, his bias was way too obvious.”
A significant portion of netizens felt that Salman’s “OG charm” was waning, with many describing his hosting as now feeling “partial” and “scripted.” Numerous viewers also suggested that Bigg Boss 19 was slowly transforming into the “Amaal Mallik Protection League,” with Salman defending him under the guise of mental health discussions.
While some fans appreciated Salman’s efforts to address Amaal’s struggles, the majority slammed the episode for being “cruelly biased” and “unfair.” Viewers cautioned that such blatant favoritism could hurt the show’s TRPs and alienate the neutral audience that had previously been key to Bigg Boss's massive success.