Amid the reports of megastar Amitabh Bachchan hosting an event at India Gate to celebrate the 2-Year Anniversary of Modi government, Congress on Wednesday raised the question, saying “what signal will it send to investigation agencies?”
Senior Congress leader and spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said “We have no issues with Amitabh Bachchan or Modi doing programs. I am sure Amitabh Ji will come out clean in Panama Papers-a massive leak of tax documents on offshore companies and accounts of the rich and the powerful. But would it not send a wrong message to all investigative agencies when a person accused of money laundering will host a program to celebrate two years of Modi government?”
Moments after the Congress mounted the attack, Amitabh Bachchan came out with a clarification, saying “I am not hosting the show. I am only doing one segment which is concerned with the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiative, which is very close to my heart.”
Later, Abhishek Bachchan also stood by his father and said that Big B is not participating in any ‘political event.’
#WATCH: Abhishek Bachchan clarifies on Amitabh Bachchan hosting #2YearsOfModiGovt event.https://t.co/078heKcvIO
— ANI (@ANI_news) May 25, 2016
On April 4, as part of its ongoing investigation into The Panama Papers, The Indian Express reported that records of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca showed that actor Amitabh Bachchan served as director of four offshore shipping companies between 1993 and 1997.
However, the actor denied the reports and stated that his name has been misused.
On May 28, to mark the completion of Modi government’s second year in office, the government has organised an event — ‘Zara Muskura Do’ (Smile Please) — which will have several performances and programmes highlighting its “achievements”. The show will be telecast across the country on Doordarshan and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and most of his ministers.