Are the Panama Papers blocking Amitabh Bachchan’s Incredible India ambassadorship?

Veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was announced as the government’s choice for brand ambassador of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign earlier this year, is still waiting on an official confirmation. Sources say that the delay could have been caused by appearance of Bachchan’s name in the ‘Panama Papers’ controversy, reports NDTV.

Earlier this month, The Indian Express carried a report based on a massive data leak of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, revealing offshore accounts of over 500 Indians. Bachchan’s name surfaced in this leak, as the director of four shipping companies, registered in British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, in the 1990s.

Bachchan however clarified his stand, denying any connection with the mentioned companies and stated that his name might have been “misused”.

He said, “I do not know any of the companies referred to by Indian Express — Sea Bulk Shipping Company Ltd, Lady Shipping Ltd, Treasure Shipping Ltd, and Tramp Shipping Ltd. I have never been a director of any of the above stated companies. It is possible that my name has been misused.”

“I have paid all my taxes including on monies spent by me overseas. Monies that I have remitted overseas have been in compliance with law, including remittances through Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), after paying Indian taxes. In any event the news report in Indian Express does not even suggest any illegality on my part,” his statement added.

The link between Bachchan and the ‘Panama Papers’ list however was not taken lightly by the Congress, who demanded that he be taken down as Maharashtra’s ambassador for the Save Tiger project.

The party also demanded the Bachchan’s removal from the advisory panel on the development of part of Bandra Kurla Complex as an International Finance and Services Centre.

Amitabh Bachchan and actress Priyanka Chopra were both announced as choices for brand ambassador of the ‘Incredible India’ campaign in January this year, after the ouster of actor Aamir Khan, post his ‘intolerance’ comments.