Goa BJP leader: Take back Padma awards from stars promoting tobacco products

Panaji, April 20

Goa BJP's medical cell convenor, Shekhar Salkar, on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to strip Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan off their Padma awards for featuring in surrogate advertisements promoting tobacco products.

"I have no words to condemn the way Akshay Kumar has joined the gang of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgan to promote cancer through a surrogate advt of tobacco product. Ironically, all these people are Padma award winners," Salkar Tweeted.

"While @PMOIndia is working overtime to make India healthy through Fit India movement, the entire mission is humiliated by these so-called influencers with their surrogate advt trapping the younger generation into tobacco consumption. Do these actors really deserve Padmashri," asked Salkar, who is also an office-bearer of the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication.

"People have put their faith in these disgraced, dishononurable actors who have sold their soul and ethics to make money at the cost of minds of innocent youth who emulate them and get adversely influenced and initiated to tobacco consumption," he added.

Bachchan is the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan award, while Khan, Devgn and Akshay Kumar have been awarded the Padmashri award, the country's fourth highest civilian honour.