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.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
