Sealink row: Amitabh hasn’t committed a crime, says Thackeray

Coming out in defence of old friend Amitabh Bachchan, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday said the actor has done nothing wrong by attending the inauguration of the second phase of the Bandra—Worli Sea Link.

“Amitabh hasn’t committed a crime by attending the event,” Mr. Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ’Saamana’.

Lambasting Congress for “treating the actor as an untouchable”, Mr. Thackeray said “Shah Rukh Khan, who took cudgels on behalf of Pakistanis, will do for Congress, which is allergic to Amitabh.”

“Amitabh attending the function only added to the prestige of the event,” Mr. Thackeray said on the actor sharing the dias with Congress leaders at the sealink function.

Bachchan is not a thief, dacoit or a terrorist, Mr. Thackeray said.

The presence of Bachchan at the inauguration of second phase of the Sea Link a couple of days back had sparked a controversy with Congress leaders from Mumbai taking objection to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan sharing platform with the actor who is a brand ambassador for BJP-ruled Gujarat.

“Amitabh is targeted because he is brand ambassador of Gujarat. Ambani and Tata who live in Mumbai have invested heavily in Gujarat. Will anyone from Congress ask them why they were investing in Narendra Modi’s Gujarat,” Mr. Thackeray said.

The actor belongs to the nation and will remain so, he said.

Entertainment and politics should not be mixed: SRK

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who drew Shiv Sena’s ire for supporting Pakistani cricketers’ inclusion in the IPL, says he does not understand the “logic” behind the controversy and would have apologised if they had a problem with his film ‘My Name Is Khan’.

The 44-year-old superstar said what hurt him the most was the fact that his “Indianness” was questioned again and again.

Khan said that he would have apologised to Shiv Sena if the content of his film, released on February 12, was found to be offensive but did not do so because he didn’t understand the “logic” behind their anger.

“If they had a problem with my film, I would have apologised. I have done so earlier because I do not want to offend anyone with my films, my aim is to entertain. But this was about who I am as a person and my Indianness and I was hurt that I had to clarify it again and again,” said Khan in an interaction with Star News.

The actor said that he has “great respect” for the Sena leaders but feels that politics and patriotism should not have been mixed with entertainment.

“They are much older than me and I have great respect for them. But I did not understand why was the film dragged in between. I am one of those who believe that entertainment and politics should not be mixed,” he said.

“I did not understand why was my Indianness questioned. My father is a freedom fighter and I am proud of that,” he added.