Farmers Movement Archive

Will stop shooting, shows of Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar movies: Congress

NAGPUR: Immediately after taking over as state Congress party chief, Nana Patole has started making his moves. On Thursday, he warned leading actors Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar Congress workers will stop shooting and screening of their movies if they failed to raise a voice on issues like “exorbitant rise” in petrol, diesel and gas prices. Patole reminded both Bollywood superstars of their tweets on this topic when UPA government headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had hiked fuel prices. The Sakoli MLA also questioned their silence on recent burning issues, including the farmers’ protests against three laws introduced by PM Narendra Modi-led NDA government. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of his mega bullock cart-cum-tractor rally in Bhandara in support of farmers protests, the former Maharashtra assembly speaker said despite petrol and gas prices touching a record high of Rs100 and Rs800 respectively, both actors, ‘who danced on BJP’s diktats’, weren’t uttering a word even as common man was suffering. “During UPA regime, both these celebrities could speak because it was a democratic and constitutional government. Now, both Bachchan and Kumar have become puppets in BJP’s hands when it was expected from them to support the common public, who are suffering. Congress would take an aggressive stand against such BJP parrots and wouldn’t allow their films in the state,” he said. Accompanied by MLC Abhijit Wanjari, party spokesperson Atul Londhe and others leaders, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president said the Modi government came into power on the promise that they would double farmers’ income. “Six year down the line, the farmers aren’t getting even 1.5 times price for their produce. Instead, the government is planning to remove even the provision of Minimum Support Price (MSP) by forcibly imposing farm laws. If celebrities didn’t speak against the injustice meted out to the farmers, rising inflation, spiralling fuel prices and other issues adversely affecting citizens, we will stop all their activities.” Reiterating the grand old party’s support to ongoing farmers’ agitation at Delhi border, the former Bhandara-Gondia MP said they would start a big agitation in Maharashtra. “When the entire world, including global celebrities, is supporting our farmer brethren in their fight, these BJP parrots are opposing them on social media on the diktats of BJP IT cell. The person who created ruckus at Delhi’s Red Fort belongs to the saffron party, but they put the entire blame on protesting farmers, who’re braving intense cold conditions to protest at the capital’s borders. Over 200 of them have been martyred in their fight against the NDA government, still the latter isn’t showing any concern for them,” Patole said. He also flayed the Modi government for imposing FASTag system for vehicles.

The Times of India

2021-02-19

Nagpur