UP-rising against Bachchans crushed

Lucknow: Three people in Uttar Pradesh file complaints against Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya.

One's petrol pump is raided, another's shop licence is suspended and the third's standing crop is looted - coincidence or is it because they all dared to take on Bollywood's first family despite its known proximity to the state government?

That is the question doing the rounds here - and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party government may soon be forced to answer.

Petrol pump owner Ameer Haider, farmer Satya Narain Sharma and ration shop owner Vijay Pal Gautam, all from Lucknow's adjoining district of Barabanki, have met Governor TV Rajeswar and submitted representations seeking his intervention to save them from "undue harassment on account of mala fide intentions of the government".

The controversy centres on the free allotment of prime government agricultural land to Bachchan in Barabanki district.

According to public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Shukla and Gautam in the Allahabad high court, nearly three bighas (about 75,000 sq ft) of government land has been allotted to the film star in violation of all norms and rules.

Ameer Haider brought up the issue when he complained to the Election Commission objecting to Jaya Bachchan's nomination by the Samajwadi Party to the Rajya Sabha.

According to sources, the authorities let loose their ire on the Barabanki-based petrol pump owner. His premises were raided a few days ago.

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And close on its heels came action against Shukla, who alleges that his standing crop on more than five bighas of land was forcibly chopped and carried away by Samajwadi Party goons.

"My plea to the local administration has gone unheeded and I have been threatened with dire consequences if I pursue my petition against Amitabh," he said.

Shukla's co-petitioner Vijay Pal Gautam's ration shop licence was suspended on "flimsy" grounds on Monday.

The petitioners accused Amitabh of "wilful concealment and misrepresentation of facts".

"In an obvious bid to avoid identification, Bachchan has mentioned his name as just Amitabh and even in his father's name, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, he has cleverly dropped Bachchan," Shukla said.

The provision for free allotment of agriculture land was made under the Zamindari Abolition Act to facilitate livelihood for poor landless people in villages. This could be given only to landless Dalits, landless farm workers, freedom fighters, widows below poverty line or disabled former military personnel.

Under no circumstances can any 'gram sabha' land, or village land, be allotted to anyone not belonging to the area.

Amitabh has no connection either with the village or even with Barabanki district, said sources. The allotment was earlier cancelled by previous district magistrate A K Goel, who was subsequently moved out.

However, the present Barabanki district magistrate Rama Shankar Sahu has flatly denied the allegations. He also sees "no irregularity" in the allotment of the gram sabha land to the superstar.

"Since the matter is sub judice, I would not like to make any further comment on it," he pleaded.

Denying that there was any kind of targeting, Sahu said: "Whatever action has been taken against the petrol pump or the ration shop was strictly in accordance with rules."