The ruling Congress-NCP state government has swung into damage control mode over the controversy involving Amitabh Bachchan’s presence at the inauguration of the north-bound carriageway of the Bandra Worli sea link earlier this week. Deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, on Friday, downplayed the incident in the legislative council and said that there were no differences in the government over the issue.
“The PWD minister (public undertakings) had invited Bachchan for the programme. The sea link, however, was inaugurated by the chief minister,” Bhujbal said.
The deputy CM was replying to a point of propriety raised by Shiv Sena’s Neelam Gorhe. She was ably supported by Kiran Pawaskar, also a Shiv Sainik, who said: “After the 26/11 terror attack, the then chief minister lost his post for taking along Bollywood director Ram Gopal Verma to survey the damage at Taj Hotel. We are worried that Chavan could meet with the same fate due to Bachchan.”
The Sena’s views were objected to by Congress’ Bhai Jagtap, who said there were other important topics of the poor and downtrodden in the state that needed to be discussed. “Is the Bachchan issue so important to be debated here?” Jagtap said.
Meanwhile, the Congress high-command in New Delhi also wanted the issue buried. Party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi reacted with caution. “The issue was over for us on Thursday itself and the party has already clarified its stand. Now, whether the CM should again share a platform with Amitabh Bachchan at a social event or not is a question that the CM can answer,” Singhvi said.
However, according to sources from within Congress, if Chavan “repeats the gaffe” he could be in for trouble.
