Petition filed to remove Bachchan's voice from COVID-19 caller tune
A Public Interest Litigation or PIL has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking the removal of the Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's voice from the caller tune on precautions against the coronavirus. Big B's voice was chosen for the COVID-19 caller tune late last year. Here are more details on this development.
Matter listed for hearing on January 18
The petition seeking the direction to the Centre to remove the megastar's voice from the caller tune cited various reasons for it. The petition highlighted that the actor engaged in spreading awareness had himself contracted COVID-19 last year. The bench has listed the hearing on the matter for January 18, as the petitioner's counsel expressed their inability to appear for physical hearing.
Big B had tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2020
On July 11, 2020, Big B had tested positive for COVID-19. The actor had himself made the announcement on Twitter, and was admitted to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai. His son, Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and granddaughter Aaradhya had also tested positive for it.
What are the other claims made by the petitioner?
The petitioner has stated that while Big B is being paid for spreading awareness against the ongoing health crisis, many frontline warriors and social workers across the country are willing to offer their services for free. "The government of India has been paying fees to Amitabh Bachchan for chanting preventive measures on the caller ringtone (sic)," said the plea.
Who filed this petition and why?
The petition has been filed by a Delhi resident and social worker named Rakesh. He claimed the veteran actor neither has a "clean history," nor has served the nation through social work. The petitioner cited several prior cases against the actor and claimed that due to these cases against Big B, he is not suitable for such services.
Several cases against Bachchan were cited in the petition
A number of cases against Bachchan have been cited in the petition. They include a petition moved before the Bombay High Court for alleged violation of the Anti-Tobacco Act by him. It also cited a 2011 news article, in which a key witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots had asked why no FIR had been lodged against Big B for allegedly provoking a rioter.
