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
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First in Malayalam movie artists association history, women elected to its top leadership
Kochi, Aug 15 (PTI): In a first in the history of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), women were elected to its top leadership positions.
Women actors Shwetha Menon and Kukku Parameswaran were elected as president and general secretary of the organisation respectively. Besides them, Ansiba Hasan was elected as joint secretary and Lakshmi Priya as the vice president.
State Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian welcomed the development, saying it was his personal view that women should come to the leadership posts of AMMA.
"I say this because it is necessary to create more opportunities for women in the film industry. It is for the first time that women are being elected to the leadership positions of AMMA," he said.
The minister congratulated Menon, Parameswaran and Hasan, saying that they were all competent and strong women.
"Let them all work together. I see it as evidence of the continuation of the changes brought about in the film industry following the recently held cinema conclave," Cherian said.
He also said that it was an indication of the good times that will come for the Malayalam film industry.
"I am not saying men are bad. For so long men were heading it. Let women rule come now," he added.
