Oust Amitabh Bachchan from Save Tiger Project: Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Thursday sought ouster of actor Amitabh Bachchan as the state’s ambassador for the ‘Save Tiger project’ after his name was figured in the Panama Papers leaks.

“Till Bachchan gets a clean chit in the Panama Papers case, he should be removed as tiger’s brand ambassador as well as from advisory panel on the development of part of the Bandra Kurla Complex as International Finance and Services Centre,” the Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said while raising the issue in Lower House.

“It would be improper if Bachchan continues to occupy the two posts especially when his name has allegedly figured in the Panama Papers,” the opposition leader said.

The Papers are a leaked set of 11.5 million confidential documents that provide detailed information about more than 2,14,000 offshore companies listed by corporate services provider Mossack Fonseca. “Bachchan should be removed from the two posts till the inquiry launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard is complete,” he said.

However, BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar objected to the ‘vilification campaign’ against a star of Bachchan’s repute.

Bachchan, whose name figured in the leaks as allegedly having links with offshore entities in two tax havens, had already denied any connection with those companies, saying his name may have been “misused”.