Big B takes fresh dig at Ramadoss
Sunday, May 11th, 2008 at 2:31 am
NEW DELHI, MAY 11 (TNN): Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan has once again taken a dig at Union health minister A Ramadoss. And this time, it’s over the reinstatement of AIIMS director, Dr P Venugopal.
The veteran actor wrote in his blog, "Minister Ramadoss has had a bad day today. Dr Venugopal, the renowned and most qualified doctor who headed AIIMS, the national medical institute, and who was most unceremoniously removed from his post, is back after winning in the honourable SC, his reinstatement."
The Bollywood superstar then once again brought up the controversial issue of alcohol. Bachchan wrote, "The Times carried a bold review of some of our statements on the desirability of banning of drinking scenes in films. But it carried an even bolder review of the massive increase in production of wine in the country, accompanied by glorified figures of past and present statistics."
"Mr Ramadoss, the government is taking pride in the increased production of alcohol and you are wanting actors to stop drinking scenes because they encourage alcoholism. Tell me, how are you expecting the consumption of this enhanced wine production in the land?" Bachchan said.
TOI had recently carried an article which said that the average age of alcohol consumption in India had fallen by nearly nine years over the past decade. At present, at an average, Indians take their first sip of alcohol at the age of 19 compared to 28 in the 1990s. The article also showed how India had become one of the largest alcoholic beverage industries in the world, producing 65% of the alcohol in South-East Asia. It also contributes to about 7% of the total alcohol beverage imports into the region.
Big B had earlier taken on Ramadoss for asking actors not to enact drinking scenes. Ramadoss had appealed to film stars not to promote alcohol advertisements, direct or surrogate.
In reply, Bachchan had asked whether Ramadoss being in governance should have first considered banning this dreaded habit for all government servants in the country before giving sermons to the film industry.
This had made Ramadoss go on the backfoot. In reply to Bachchan’s comments, the minister said, "I don’t want that because of Mr Amitabh Bachchan millions of children take up smoking or take up alcohol. He is the brand ambassador for polio. Because of him millions of women were taking their children for polio drops. We appreciate that."
The veteran actor wrote in his blog, "Minister Ramadoss has had a bad day today. Dr Venugopal, the renowned and most qualified doctor who headed AIIMS, the national medical institute, and who was most unceremoniously removed from his post, is back after winning in the honourable SC, his reinstatement."
The Bollywood superstar then once again brought up the controversial issue of alcohol. Bachchan wrote, "The Times carried a bold review of some of our statements on the desirability of banning of drinking scenes in films. But it carried an even bolder review of the massive increase in production of wine in the country, accompanied by glorified figures of past and present statistics."
"Mr Ramadoss, the government is taking pride in the increased production of alcohol and you are wanting actors to stop drinking scenes because they encourage alcoholism. Tell me, how are you expecting the consumption of this enhanced wine production in the land?" Bachchan said.
TOI had recently carried an article which said that the average age of alcohol consumption in India had fallen by nearly nine years over the past decade. At present, at an average, Indians take their first sip of alcohol at the age of 19 compared to 28 in the 1990s. The article also showed how India had become one of the largest alcoholic beverage industries in the world, producing 65% of the alcohol in South-East Asia. It also contributes to about 7% of the total alcohol beverage imports into the region.
Big B had earlier taken on Ramadoss for asking actors not to enact drinking scenes. Ramadoss had appealed to film stars not to promote alcohol advertisements, direct or surrogate.
In reply, Bachchan had asked whether Ramadoss being in governance should have first considered banning this dreaded habit for all government servants in the country before giving sermons to the film industry.
This had made Ramadoss go on the backfoot. In reply to Bachchan’s comments, the minister said, "I don’t want that because of Mr Amitabh Bachchan millions of children take up smoking or take up alcohol. He is the brand ambassador for polio. Because of him millions of women were taking their children for polio drops. We appreciate that."
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