Brushing aside the Congress’ criticism over his agreeing to become brand ambassador of the BJP-ruled Gujarat, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan has said he would be working to promote the state and not any individual (Chief Minister Narendra Modi).
In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN, Bachchan said there was no politics involved in his accepting Narendra Modi’s offer to be brand ambassador for the state.
“Modi is a constitutional head of a state. I have been asked to promote heritage sites in Gujarat. Where does it bring politics?,” he said.
Bachchan added: “There will be many chief ministers who will come and go, but Gujarat will remain. What I am doing is for a state and not for any individual.”
Replying to a query on the Congress targeting him because of his perceived association with Modi, Bachchan said Gujarat belongs to the country and not to a party or individual.
“The state of Gujarat belongs to the country. It does not belong to Narendra Modi or to the Congress party or to the Communist party. Narendra Modi is the constitutional head of the state. A democratic decision has been taken by the people of the state and they have elected Narendra Modi,” he said.
“I was asked by the Gujarat government to promote tourism and if people are unhappy that I am going to be promoting tourism just because Narendra Modi is the chief minister, because some people don’t like him, and I should not be associating myself, (then) it’s ridiculous.”
“In that case, you should ask every industrialist in Gujarat to remove their industry. Why don’t you ask Mr Ambani to remove Reliance from there?” he asked.
To a question, Bachchan said it was not necessary to talk about his relationship with the Gandhi family as it was a personal matter.
“I don’t think it is necessary because it is personal. And I am not comfortable talking about it. But these are matters that everyone has a right to apprehend, talk about and speculate,” he said when queried about his reluctance to take questions about the relationship between the two famous families.
To another query, the megastar said it was wrong to suggest that he was being attacked because of the Congress. “I don’t think that there is any meaning in the fact that there is just because it is the Congress party that I am being attacked. I don’t think that is correct.”
Asked if his perceived association with Modi had led to the controversy over his attending the Bandra Worli Sea-link function on Wednesday, he said, “The minister concerned had invited me. I have an invitation on his letter head. I didn’t go there uninvited.”
Bachchan said he cannot be blamed if the Congress was unhappy with him.
“Everyone has the liberty to say what they want to say. I was invited by the minister of the government of Maharashtra to the opening of this another four lanes. I accepted. I went there. It was a wonderful ceremony. What happens then is their problem, not mine,” he said.
On Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s remark that he was not aware that the actor would be present, Bachchan said: “It’s a small thing. He may have forgotten about it. I don’t think there is any politics behind it “