New Delhi: After days of attacks on
Amitabh Bachchan, Congress today praised him as a "very good
actor" and claimed that the party had no objection to any of
its leaders sharing dais with him.
Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed claimed that the party
had not asked any of its leaders to keep away from Bachchan
and some may themselves not be wanting to share dais with him
because of his becoming the brand ambassador of Gujarat.
"Who has asked Congress leaders not to share dais with
Bachchan in any function? It is being exaggerated," Ahmed said
when asked whether party leaders have been asked to stay away
from functions being attended by Amitabh Bachchan.
Only a few days back, there was a big controversy over
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan sharing dais with
Bachchan at a state-government function for inauguration of a
sea-link.
Chavan had later claimed that he no information that
Bachchan would be there.
Subsequently, the Congress leaders and spokespersons had
launched attack on Bachchan, with Manish Tewari asking the
film star whether he endorsed Modi's "role" in Gujarat riots
of 2002 or condemned it.
Ahmed said "some Congress" leaders are unhappy that
Bachchan had become brand ambassador of Gujarat whose "Chief
Minister Narendra Modi's name is associated with the most
reprehensible massacre there".
"Those who do not like this do not go (to share dais
with Bachchan) but nobody has been asked to do so by the
Congress... Those who do not like don't go but those who like
will go," he said.
-PTI
First Published: Friday, April 02, 2010, 00:32