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| Big B landing in trouble! | | |
BL KAK
If celebrities think they can live off the fat of the land and escape the long arm of the law and public scrutiny, they should think again.
A court in Uttar Pradesh (UP) has exposed how Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan coolly forged land revenue documents to get himself certified as a "farmer". Apparently, he furnished the fake papers because the farmland in Maharashtra where he is building an opulent farmhouse is about to be confiscated by the State as the 24-acre plot is meant for landless farmers.
It is really shocking to see how megastars like Bachchan flex their muscles in the corridors of power to grab lands reserved for poor peasants. And it is also shameful that such a dignified artiste can lay claim to a land in one State by saying that he had been a "farmer" in another! This is simply outrageous.
It may be noted here that a few days ago a section of the Indian media reported that Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed a whole host of tax exemptions by posing as an "artiste". But the record has been set straight with the authorities declaring that Sachin earned his billions as a "model", and not as an artiste.
While legal or financial authorities wrangle over semantics, they end up giving celebrities the leeway to manipulate the laws of their land to serve their selfish interests. Over the past few months, we have witnessed in West Bengal a lot of bloodshed because poor farmers were losing their lands, thanks to the government's ruthless industrialization policies.
Now, perhaps it is time to focus on the rich and the famous who procure lands by dubious means for the sole purpose of maintaining their luxurious lifestyle. People close to Amitabh Bachchan have trashed the ruling as "politically motivated" as the new Chief Minister of UP, Mayawati, is allegedly out to avenge herself on former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's friends, including the Bollywood megastar.
Amitabh Bachchan should remember that he is a role model for millions. But he has betrayed his army of fans by grabbing land with the help of his political patrons. The public can now justifiably brand him a political pygmy instead of the tall angry young man.
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