Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will not host the celebration of the second anniversary of the Narendra Modi government here, but he will take to the stage briefly to talk about the 'Beti bachao, Beti padhao' campaign for girl education.
A source in the know of developments told IANS that Amitabh -- a United Nations ambassador for the girl child -- will just be speaking on the campaign, which is close to his heart.
"It's just a small segment. But he won't be hosting the show," the source said.
Amitabh's son Abhishek too confirmed this.
"He is part of the function where he is talking about educating a girl child, and that is not a political event," Abhishek, who was in the national capital on Wednesday for a film promotion event, told reporters here.
There has been buzz that Amitabh would host an eight-hour long talk show titled "Zara Muskura Do", which will have several performances and programmes highlighting the Bharatiya Janata Party government's achievements till now.
Thereafter, the Congress on Tuesday questioned the government's decision to invite the 73-year-old whose name came up in the Panama Papers controversy.
The cine icon was quoted by Times Now as saying that it is for the government to decide who to call and who not to call for an event.
CONGRESS QUESTIONS GOVERNMENT INVITE TO AMITABH FOR INDIA GATE PROGRAMME
The Congress on Tuesday questioned the government's decision to invite Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan to host a show at India Gate here on May 28 to highlight the Narendra Modi government's achievements in the last two years.
"We don't have any objection either to Amitabh Bachchan or Prime Minister Narendra Modi because we respect Bachchan as an actor and Modi as the prime minister but what signal will it send to the agencies investigating the Panama Papers leaks," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to think over it," he added.
The Congress leader said that although Bachchan had denied his involvement in the Panama Papers controversy and "I believe he will be exonerated", but it (invite) sends a wrong signal to the investigating agencies as well as the nation".
The event at India Gate is likely to comprise talk shows on the government's achievements, interspersed with cultural programmes.
