Activists Detained for Save Aarey Protest Outside Bachchan’s House

Bachchan had earlier tweeted in support of the Mumbai Metro.

Activists protesting outside Amitabh Bachchan’s house against his alleged endorsement of the Mumbai Metro.

(Photo Courtesy: Watchdog Foundation)

Activists protesting outside Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow Jalsa in Juhu, Mumbai, were detained by the Mumbai police on Thursday, 19 September. A group of college students and members of NGO Watchdog Foundation had gathered outside the actor’s residence holding banners and placards in protest of his purported support of the proposed felling of over 2,600 trees in Aarey Colony to make way for the Mumbai Metro Project.

A video of officers hauling students into a police van has been doing the rounds on social media.

The Watchdog Foundation also handed over a letter addressed to Bachchan to a security guard at Pratiksha. It claimed that his tweet was “in contradiction to your own conduct in the past” and pointed out that the original route of Metro Line 2B was supposed to pass from Road No 10 in Juhu, near his other residence Pratiksha. “In order to spare this residence of yours, you vehemently objected to the original route which was then realigned to Road No 1 leading to SV Road,” it alleged.

Earlier on 17 September, Amitabh Bachchan said in a tweet, “Friend of mine had a medical emergency, decided to take metro instead of his car... came back very impressed.. said was faster, convenient and most efficient.. Solution for Pollution... Grow more trees.. I did in my garden.. have you?” Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited's (MMRCL) Managing Director Ashwini Bhide also tweeted thanking him for his support for the Mumbai Metro project.

However, Bachchan’s tweet received a lot of backlash from residents, including environmental activist Zoru Bhathena, who has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the civic body's approval given for felling of the trees and asked the Bollywood star to visit Aarey to understand the ground reality.

Shortly after Bachchan, Akshay Kumar too tweeted about his experience taking the metro from Ghatkopar to Versova, prompting many to speculate that these were a coordinated PR stunt in light of the protests against the felling of trees in Aarey to make room for a metro shed.

(With inputs from PTI)