The 300,000-strong Canadian Tamil community has hailed Amitabh Bachchan for not attending the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) in Colombo. A community leader hit out at other Bollywood actors, including Salman Khan, who took part in the three-day event, calling them a "disgrace" to India.
“Big B is really big. This name suits him, and he is our hero today. We Tamils salute him. By not going to Sri Lanka, Big B stands tall among Tamils around the world,” said Canadian Tamil Congress National spokesman, David Poopalapillai.
“Bachchan has shown that he cares for us. He has shown to the world that he is a great ambassador for mankind and a great champion of human rights,” he applauded, saying that the Tamil diaspora would “suitably reciprocate” his gesture at the appropriate time.
The leader further groused other Bollywood stars who attended the event, saying that “by standing with those who have our blood on their hands, these stars have disgraced themselves and India, which believes in the Gandhian principle of respect for human rights.” He asserted that the awards ceremony was a ploy by Sri Lanka to divert world attention from its “war crimes”.
Taking a dig at Salman Khan who has criticised Bachchan for not attending IIFA, Poopalapillai said, “Who is this Salman Khan? He stands nowhere near Big B. So how can people like him criticise Mr Bachchan?”
{{/usCountry}}Taking a dig at Salman Khan who has criticised Bachchan for not attending IIFA, Poopalapillai said, “Who is this Salman Khan? He stands nowhere near Big B. So how can people like him criticise Mr Bachchan?”
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