Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday sprang to the defence of Amitabh Bachchan, numbing the campaign by his nephew and splinter Sena leader Raj Thackeray against the star and North Indians.
Taking on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his personal attack against Bachchan that the star always gave priority to Uttar Pradesh over Maharashtra triggering a war of words between the youth leader and Samajwadi Party, the Sena chief said, "The allegations are nothing but stupidity."
"Amitabh is Amitabh... he should ignore such allegations," Thackeray said in a statement. "Amitabh is a family friend. The friendship goes back 40 years during which it has not even diminished."
Thackeray said Bachchan is a global superstar and is respected all over the world. "He has always expressed his gratitude to Mumbai and the people for giving him fame," Thackeray said.
Stepping up his rhetoric against the north Indians living in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray had targetted the Big B earlier this week, accusing him of not doing enough for Maharashtra, despite being a resident.
Raj Thackeray had alleged that Bachchan's loyalties were more towards his native state Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra.
"Why did Amitabh Bachchan choose to contest elections from Uttar Pradesh and do all his social work there? What has Amitabh Bachchan done for Maharashtra? If I say he is more loyal to UP, what wrong did I say?" Raj Thackeray asks.
On Monday morning, two men also reportedly threw glass bottles at Amitabh Bachchan's house Pratiksha, while MNS activists burnt the actor's effigy at Shivaji Park on the same day.
The MNS chief, who broke away from his uncle Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena in November 2005, and subsequently floated his own political outfit, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, had also criticised the Bachchans for opening a girls' school in the name of their daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Barabanki in UP.
Big B's wife and MP Jaya Bachchan later took a dig at Raj Thackeray, saying she 'does not know who Raj Thackeray is'. She hit out at Raj Thackeray and said that the Bachchans were willing to start a school in the metropolis provided the MNS leader donated them the land.
"I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra... in Mumbai... Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of (Jaya's daughter-in-law) Aishwarya here," she said.
However, Jaya Bachchan had expressed their allegiance to the Shiv Sena chief, saying "Bal Thackeray (Shiv Sena chief) is like a father to me and Uddhav (Sena Executive President) is his son. I don't know any other Thackeray," she remarked.
Comments
0 comment