Jaya accuses Mayawati of targeting Amitabh for publicity

BHOPAL: In a stinging attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan today accused her of pursuing action against her husband Amitabh Bachchan only for "cheap publicity".

"Mayawati is doing this for cheap publicity. The media gives publicity when she attacks Amitabh Bachchan," the actress-turned-politician told reporters on Tuesday.

"It is cheap publicity. You will take Amitabh Bachchan's name. Your name will be associated with him. Journalists will publish his name. This is for cheap publicity. Will the journalist publish Mayawati's name for this. She does so many things. You people (journalists) don't publish. You publish when she attacks Amitabh Bachchan," she said.

Her remarks came a day after the Barabanki district authorities issued a notice to the superstar accusing him of undervaluing the stamp duty on a plot of land he bought in the area.

Additional District Magistrate (Finance) of Barabanki Shirish Dubey issued the notice accusing Bachchan of violating relevant sections of the Indian Stamp Duty Act on the basis of a report filed to him by Tehsildar of Barabanki Anil Kumar.

The ADM (Finance) said the cost of the land was Rs 843,639 but it was shown as Rs 6,000 less and accordingly the actor paid Rs 695 less in stamp duty.

The actor's lawyer Pradeep Roy dismissed the charge of paying less stamp duty as "baseless" and alleged it was an attempt to malign Bachchan's image. A defamation suit would be filed, he added.

The plot was purchased by the actor during the rule of Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP and on January 27 this year he laid the foundation stone of a girls' college there naming it after his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai.