Among those who played pivotal roles in pushing the BJP’s agenda to demonise the Congress party ahead of 2014, Lok Sabha polls were celebrities from Bollywood and literature. They did so either to safeguard their future financial dealings or purely for their ideological similarities.
Among those who were seen as being vocal about the then UPA government were Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Vivek Agnihotri, Anupam Kher and Ashoke Pandit. Agnihotri, Kher and Pandit have been known for their support to the right-wing Hindutva ideology. Kumar and Bachchan’s role in pushing the BJP’s agenda bewildered many.
One of the topics that these celebrities often embarrassed the then UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh was the rising price of diesel and petrol in India. This despite the fact that crude oil price in the international market was at an all-time high, around $140 per barrel.
Also Read: Petrol-Diesel price hike: Expect some relief from the centre
Amitabh Bachchan had famously tweeted, “Ptrol up Rs 75: Pump attendant- Kitne ka doon? Mumbaikar- ‘2-4 rupye ka car ke upar spray kar de bhai, jalana hai.”
An otherwise apolitical Akshay Kumar too was quick to throw his weight behind the fake BJP narrative. His one tweet (now deleted) had read, “Guys, I think it’s time to clean up your bicycles and hit the road! As per sources, expecting another petrol price hike.”
These Bollywood characters have astonishingly been quiet on the rise in petrol and diesel prices under the Narendra Modi government. This despite the fact that Modi had won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on the promise that he will significantly bring down the petroleum prices and increase the value of Indian rupees against the dollar.
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