EC rejects Congress’s objection, permits Amitabh Bachchan’s Gujarat Tourism ad shoot


Gandhinagar, 9 March 2014

Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat has permitted bollywood mega-star Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Khushbu Gujarat Ki’ ad shoot for Gujarat Tourism on 10/11/12 March.

Gujarat Congress had in its letter to election commission requested to stop Bachchan’s ad shoot citing violation of model code of conduct which is effective in the state ahead of 30th April polling for Lok Sabha general elections.

According to sources, Amitabh Bachchan is going to arrive at Vadodara airport in a special plane on 10th March. Bachchan will move to Champaner/Pavagadh for ad shoot. He will have night halt in a resort near Champaner. There is no clarity at this point whether he will shoot at Vadodara palace or not. Bachchan is likely to stay for another night in Vadodara.

Amitabh Bachchan is brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism. His schedule of ad shoot at Champaner/Pavagadh and Vadodara was finalized by Gujarat Tourism much before the model of code of conduct was enforced last week.

Full text of Congress party’s letter to Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat

The State Election Commission,
Sardar Patel Bhavan, Sector No.10,
Block 9, 6th Floor, Gandhinagar,
Gujarat -382010.

Subject: Objection to shooting of Advertisement “Khusboo Gujarat Ki “ by Mr. Amitabh Bacchan as a

Brand Ambassador of Gujarat Tourism ,for promoting development model under BJP rule in Gujarat , under Election Code of Conduct

Respected Madam,

With respect to above subject we would like to bring to your kind notice that shooting of Advertisement for “Khusboo Gujarat Ki “is scheduled on 10, 11 and 12 March,2014 at Pavagadh and Vadodara, Gujarat. Since Mr. Amitabh Bachchan is a Brand Ambassador of promoting Gujarat Tourism and one of the biggest Celebrity of the Country which will be used by BJP Government to gather people to canvas for the development done by BJP lead Government and affect the voters which will violate the model code of conduct of Elections to be held in our country. The same Advertisement is used for promoting Development under BJP in Gujarat. We oppose the same as a celebrity of this rank, a face, which is used to promote BJP’s false developments in tourism sector, is now at this election time being used to market BJP in name of Advertisement.

We request you to kindly intervene and stop this shooting under Election Code of Conduct. We also here by request you that event of such kind should not be held at any other place during the time of elections as model code of conduct.

Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Narendra Ravat,
President
Vadodara City District Congress Committee
Add: Santok Chambers, Opp. Sayaji Iron Co.
Chhani Road, Vadodara-390002,Res: 2792066, Off : 2791208
M: 09825802150 Fax: 2791208