Akshay, Twinkle in legal soup over 'Rustom' navy uniform auction
New Delhi, May 9: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar and his actor-turned-author wife Twinkle Khanna have been served a legal notice for auctioning the naval uniform he wore in "Rustom" because they "have played with the sentiments of armed forces personnel and widows" of fallen soldiers.
The notice has also been sent to auction house SaltScout, which has put out the naval officer uniform for online bidding. As of Wednesday afternoon, the highest bid offered for the uniform -- which includes a shirt, pants and a hat -- was Rs 235,000. The auction closes on May 26 night.
The Bollywood couple has claimed that the money raised from the auction would be used for social causes and 90 per cent of the net proceeds from it would support NGO Janice's Trust, an animal rescue service, treatment centre and shelter based in Panchgani in Maharashtra.
But the auctioning of the uniform has rubbed some serving and ex soldiers the wrong way, claiming that "by putting (it) in auction, you have shown no respect for national interest (and) have also played with the sentiments of armed forces personnel and their widows and their family members".
"As a matter of fact, till date no uniform or medal has been put for auction. The reason for the same being that an officer's uniform is bestowed as a singular honour on a commissioned officer by President of India for life. It is not a contract but entails a liability for the nation's sake and thus the array of medals and ranks, insignia are for the discerning eye of the one who proudly wears it."
The legal notice has asked Akshay and Twinkle to cancel the auction "failing which necessary action shall be taken against you under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code".
While there is no law that bars auction but the notice points out that after the January 2016 terror attack at the Air Force Station in Pathankot, the Indian Army issued guidelines asking civilians to avoid wearing army pattern dresses and shopkeepers not to sell combat clothes, uniforms and equipment as "it is illegal" and goes against the national interest.
The notice said Akshay and Twinkle have "shown no respect for national interest" by putting the "Rustom" uniform up for auction.
The Bollywood couple have defended the auction, saying they "are doing some work with good intention for a good cause".
"If anyone finds it wrong then it is okay. I cannot do anything on that," Akshay said, replying to a question at an event in Mumbai last week in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The uniform Akshay wore in "Rustom" -- a 2016 period thriller set in the 1950s about Parsi Indian naval officer Rustom Pavri, who is struggling with his marriage after he discovers his wife (played by Ileana D'Cruz) has an affair with his friend, a businessman who was trying to negotiate a deal to sell a damaged aircraft carrier to the Indian Navy.
The film was based on the real life incident of Naval Officer K. M. Nanavati and businessman Prem Ahuja.
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BJP, JD(S) leaders helped win Channapatna bypoll: D K Shivakumar
Ramangara (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday hinted at cracks and squabbling within the BJP and the JD(S), as he gave credit to the leaders of these parties for the defeat of JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Channapatna assembly bypoll.
Congress candidate C P Yogeeshwara won in Channapatna bypoll with a margin of 25,413 votes against his nearest rival and NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, as results were announced on Saturday.
The Congress party swept all the three assembly constituencies in Karnataka, namely Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon, which went for bypolls.
Nikhil Kumaraswamy is the son of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. In September last year, JD(S) joined the NDA led by BJP.
“Many people from across the parties have helped us in this election (Channapatna). Congress had only 16,000 votes in the previous assembly election. It increased in the Lok Sabha election,” Shivakumar told reporters here.
According to him, many people from the JD(S) and the BJP supported the Congress. “If the BJP and the JD(S) leaders had not supported us directly or indirectly, we wouldn’t have got so many votes. I congratulate them,” Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said.
He quipped that the JD(S), which had 19 seats in the Karnataka Assembly, has now reduced to 18.
Hailing the electorate, the Deputy CM said this was people’s verdict in favour of C P Yogeeshwara to develop Channapatna constituency.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or the JD(S) on it.
