Stop endorsing ‘donkeys of Gujarat’: Akhilesh to Bachchan

Rae Bareli (UP), Feb. 20: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today had a piece of advice for megastar Amitabh Bachchan, “don’t advertise for the donkeys of Gujarat”.

Without taking any name, he referred to the advertisement in which Bachchan, the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism, is seen inviting tourists to visit the Wild Ass Sanctuary located in Little Rann of Kutch in the state.

“Ek gadhe ka vigyapan aata hai. Main iss sadi ke sabse bade mahanayak se kahunga ke ab aap Gujarat ke gadhon ka prachar mat kariye (There’s an ad on TV which shows donkeys. I appeal to century’s biggest star, please stop endorsing the donkeys of Gujarat),” Akhilesh said, giving an interesting twist to the no-holds-barred election campaign.

“What will happen if the donkeys also start getting advertised?,” the UP CM asked the audience. The bitter remarks came at a time when parties are racing to the finish line of the state polls described by many as the semi-final before the 2019 Union election.