<div><em><strong>Sutanu Guru </strong>reminisces about a forgotten story from 2006</em></div><div> </div><div>Perhaps the most embarrassing self goal scored by the BJP in recent times came after super star Shah Rukh Khan voiced his opinions on growing intolerance in the country. Worthies ranging from Sadhvi Prachi to Lok Sabha MP Yogi Adityanath to Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvarghava attacked Shah Rukh in the most tasteless and vile manner. Their attacks actually ended up lending weight to critics of the Modi regime who insist people who are not liked by the Sangh Parivar are being targeted and persecuted. </div><div> </div><div>Even as this debate over the "persecution" of Shah Rukh Khan goes on, it would be interesting to recall a similar situation faced by super star Amitabh Bachchan almost ten years ago. The author does recall media coverage of that controversy, but not the manner in which the diatribes against Shah Rukh are being projected against authoritarian assaults on regime critics. Let's quickly recap what exactly happened back then. In 1984, when the late Rajiv Gandhi won a historic mandate for his Congress party, Amitabh Bachchan was not just a close family friend, but also a Congress candidate who had inflicted a humiliating defeat on a powerful opposition leader like H.N. Bahuguna from Allahabad constituency. Incidentally, the daughter of the late Bahuguna is now a fiercely loyal spokesperson for Congress and its President Sonia Gandhi. By 2004, the family friendship between the Gandhis and the Bachchans had gone, replaced by what many insiders suggest to be bitterness and acrimony. So when the UPA led by Sonia Gandhi formed the government in Delhi, Jaya Bachchan became a Rajya Sabha MP representing the Samajwadi Party.</div><div> </div><div>In 2006, Jaya Bachchan was disqualified as a Rajya Sabha MP because she was holding an "office of profit" (Chairperson of the UP Film Development Corporation). This created a storm of controversy as even Sonia Gandhi was then holding an "office of profit" as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council. Sonia Gandhi delivered a master stroke by resigning as Lok Sabha MP and seeking re-election. Many intellectuals and even media professionals elevated her to almost a goddess like figure. Even as everyone was raving about Sonia, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for a surgery. Then came reports that officials of the Income Tax department had visited the hospital to issue notices to him. Initially, the Income Tax department denied any such move. But it soon became clear that the income tax guys not only served notice to Amitabh, but also made various allegations against his wife Jaya Bachchan. </div><div> </div><div>Amitabh protested against this "persecution" and appealed to the concerned tax authorities. The higher authorities found that the income tax department had no business serving notices to Amitabh Bachchan and his family members. This verdict was delivered in 2008 and barely covered by the media. The income tax department wasn't giving up so easily. It appealed against the verdict. In 2010, the appellate authorities quoted chapter and verse and rejected the appeal filed by the income tax department. In fact, the appellate authorities had quite a few harsh words to say about the income tax officers who were targeting Amitabh and his family members. <a href="http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/116132202/">You can read the detailed verdict online.</a></div><div> </div><div>This verdict too was largely ignored by the media. A few months after the verdict, Amitabh Bachchan became the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism. We all know who the chief minister of Gujarat was in 2010! </div>
