Congress questions government invite to Amitabh for India Gate programme

New Delhi, May 25

The Congress on Tuesday questioned the government's decision to invite Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan to host a show at India Gate here on May 28 to highlight the Narendra Modi government's achievements in the last two years.

"We don't have any objection either to Amitabh Bachchan or Prime Minister Narendra Modi because we respect Bachchan as an actor and Modi as the prime minister but what signal will it send to the agencies investigating the Panama Papers leaks," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to think over it," he added.

The Congress leader said that although Bachchan had denied his involvement in the Panama Papers controversy and "I sincerely hope that he will be exonerated, but it (invite) sends a wrong signal to the investigating agencies as well as the nation".

"In the Panama Papers case, one of the names that has come out happens to be of the artiste concerned and his family.

"When a person accused of such thing is seen hosting a programme to celebrate two years of the Modi government, does it not send a signal to the investigating agency not to proceed against those who are under suspicion for having stashed black money abroad in foreign bank accounts?" Surjewala asked.

The event at India Gate is likely to include talk shows on the government's achievements, interspersed with cultural programmes. 

"Would it not defeat and weaken both morally, ethically and also perhaps legally, the drive of the prime minister to punish every individual found to have stashed black money abroad. This is something that he must ponder over," he said.