Post a joke on petrol prices: Zubair mocks Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘trying hard for 50M followers’ post
New Delhi: Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan’s recent post on X about struggling to cross 49 million followers has once again reignited an ongoing debate over celebrity silence on rising fuel prices. The actor in a post on X said, "T 5347 - Trying really hard, but this 49M followers number just won’t go up. If anyone has a solution, do let me know !!!"
Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair replied sharply, "Sir, gather some courage and share a few jokes about petrol, diesel, and LPG prices. You’ll hit 50M in two days."
Zubair’s response quickly went viral, bringing back a recurring public discussion: why did celebrities who criticized fuel prices during the previous government go silent in recent years?
In 2012, when petrol prices rose under the UPA government, several top Bollywood stars, including Amitab Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Anupam Kher, publicly mocked the hikes. One of Bachchan’s most circulated tweets from that time read: "Ramchandra keh gaye Siya se, aisa kal yug aayega. Gaadi kharidoge cash se, aur petrol loan se aayega."
Another tweet joked about a man asking a petrol pump attendant to spray fuel on his car before burning it, because even that amount had become unaffordable.
Akshay Kumar had quipped: "Looks like it’s time to clean up the bicycle and hit the road again. Prices are rising again, as per sources."
Anupam Kher, too, had tweeted about his driver switching to a bicycle because petrol was too expensive, leaving his car as a "showpiece."
However, these same voices have remained notably silent as fuel prices surged under the current government—crossing ₹100 per litre in 2021 and remaining high since. This contrast hasn’t gone unnoticed by the public, with old tweets repeatedly resurfacing over the years and sparking fresh rounds of online criticism.
Sir Thodi Himmat karke Petrol, Diesel aur LPG pe jokes share kariye. 50M toh 2 din me ho jayenge.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 15, 2025
एक बार पेट्रोल पे पोस्ट करदो
— Shekhar (@Shekharcoool5) April 13, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
