Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Congress and BJP continue to exchange barbs over Narendra Modi and Amitabh Bachchan.
BJP today alleged that filmstar Amitabh Bachchan was being targeted by Congress as he is brand ambassador of Gujarat but said the question of his joining the party did not arise.
"Amitabh Bachchan has become brand ambassador of Gujarat
and not of Pakistan. He is an artiste and not Dawood
(Ibrahim)," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
The BJP MP alleged that Congress leaders were harassing
Bachchan as he was brand ambassador of a BJP-ruled state and
has fallen out with the first family of the ruling party.
Reacting to the allegation, Congress took a dig at the BJP for implying that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had "condescended" on the judiciary by appearing before the SIT.
“Tomorrow if Dawood Ibrahim (wanted for his alleged role
in the 1993 Mumbai blasts) is brought before the law, will the
BJP say that he has condescended upon the Indian judiciary by
appearing before it," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said, adding that it was the raj dharma of Modi government to protect the people which it did not do in 2002.
"The BJP has been repeatedly saying the Gujarat Chief
Minister has condescended on the judiciary by appearing before
the SIT. But the fact is that if you have not discharged your
administrative responsibility, you will have to face
punishment," he said.
The BJP also took up the issue of Abhishek Bachchan being removed from an environment campaign where Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit was the chief guest.
"And why was Abhishek Bachchan troubled (by the Delhi
government)? This is not Gujarat," Javadekar said.
Abhishek`s message for Earth Hour was blacked out
allegedly by the Delhi government.
"This is an insult of democracy, of the federal
structure and worst force of vendetta politics," the BJP
leader said, adding that he had never seen such
"individualistic and cheap politics".
However, when asked if the doors of BJP were open for
Amitabh Bachchan, Javadekar said, "Where did this question
arise?"
Party sources asserted that since Bachchan Sr is not
interested in entering politics there has been no discussion
on the issue.
Javadekar maintained that Amitabh Bachchan was a brand
ambassador for several things and even when he was close to
Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi, nobody had any objections.
"The issue now is that Congress is now boycotting a
person. This is personal vendetta. We condemn the Congress
attitude," he said.
-PTI inputs
