Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Congress on Monday hit back at Amitabh Bachchan defending himself on being the brand ambassador of Gujarat by telling him to pronounce his position on Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 riots.
“I want to ask a direct question to Mr Bachchan…does he, as the brand ambassador of Gujarat, endorse or condemn the role of Modi and his Gujarat government during the pogrom of 2002?” Manish Tewari, the Congress Spokesperson, said in a press conference.
Tewari said that if Bachchan is a sensitive man, then he should condemn Modi. “…then I would like to see how long he remains the brand ambassador of Gujarat,” he added.
Earlier, Congress made light of Modi`s defence of Bachchan dubbing him as a "frustrated" Chief Minister in the wake of his marathon questioning by the SIT in connection with a post-Godhara riots case.
"I can understand Modi is feeling very, very frustrated because for the first time in 63 years, a Chief Minister elected by the people of the country is being made to stand before the Special Investigating Team for about 10 hours in a question and answer session," Union Minister and senior Congress leader Amibka Soni said on the sidelines of a function by Seva Dal, a party wing, here.
"This has apparently frustrated him to use the word Taliban in a light and flippant manner. Those who have been victims of Taliban, know what Taliban is. He has used the word Taliban so lightly. He should make such statements with some seriousness," she said.
Soni was replying to a volley of questions on the remark of the Gujarat Chief Minister suggesting that those objecting to Amitabh Bachchan`s presence at a government function are "Talibans of untouchability".
Modi alleged that an anti-Gujarat game plan behind the opposition and the controversy over senior Bachchan stood exposed now. "These `Talibans of Untouchability` have lost all their sensibilities in their pursuit of anti-Gujarat attitudes," he added.
Writing on his blog, Modi described 67-year-old Bachchan as a great artiste with legendary humility and even taller achievements who has chosen to celebrate the glorious heritage of Gujarat even while facing a lot of criticism from many quarters.
"He (Modi) keeps on saying so many things, why is it necessary to give a reply to whatever he says," Soni said when pressed further on the issue.
PTI input
