Addressing a press conference Raj said ‘I am withdrawing the stir against the Bachchans in view of the personal apology tendered by Amitabh Bachchan’. 

His party that had launched an anti Bachchan campaign on the grounds that Jaya Bachchan has insulted Maharashtrians by saying that she prefers to speak in Hindi since she is from UP. 

Raj, at the press conference, stated that his decision to pull back the agitation was inspired by Amitabh Bachchan’s telecasted apology last evening. He also added that he still believes that it should have been Jaya instead of Big B. However as Amitabh is the head of the family, Raj has accepted his apology. 

He also said, "Big B's apology is a victory for Marathi Manoos. The Bachchans movies can move on successfully. We have no objection to them now." 

Sonia’s concern 

Earlier today, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had expressed concern about the issue, asking the state chief minister to take prompt action to ensure Bachchans safety. 

The Congress president has also asked the Maharashtra government to submit a report on the issue. Moreover, Sonia in a way has also signaled the end of estrangement with the Bachchans. 

Sonia apparently is not happy with the way the Bachchans are being targeted in the state. Sonia has asked Maharashtra Congress General Secretary Margaret Alva to find out why the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is targeting Amitabh Bachchan and his family. 

The Congress on Wednesday has described as "disturbing" the MNS threat to the Bachchan family and disturbance at the premier of Amitabh Bachchan-starrer movie ‘The Last Lear’. 

"This is disturbing... I met the Congress President and apprised her of the developments in the state," Alva said. 

She said she has spoken to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who has assured that steps have been taken and the situation is under control. 

Amitabh shields Jaya 

On Wednesday, Amitabh Bachchan apologised for his wife and actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan's "anti-Marathi" remarks and said his family would be ready to take any punishment if found guilty of any crime. 

"The remark that Jaya made at the music release function of Drona last week was not meant to malign or hurt anybody or any group of people. Having said that, I would still make it clear that if even a single person is hurt by Jaya's remark, we would apologise, rather, we should apologise," Bachchan said. 

Bachchan had also expressed "pain and regret" at events of the past four days and said MNS chief Raj Thackeray was like his "brother". 

Referring Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil's announcement that an order has been issued to Mumbai Police to investigate the controversy, Bachchan said he and his family would rather wait for the report of the investigating agency. 

The controversy that has making headlines started of by some of the comments that Jaya Bachchan made while attending the music launch of her and Abhishek’s upcoming flick Drona. 

Here is what Jaya said 

“Hum UP ke log hai, hume Hindi mein baat karni chahiye’ (we are from Uttar Pradesh and should speak in Hindi) and that being Indians, we will speak in Hindi only as against today’s trend.” 

The comments were construed as anti Maharashtrian by the MNS party that went on a rampage tearing down the posters of Dorna and The Last Lear and even commercial advertisements featuring the Bachchans.

.....Sonia Gandhi Biography.....with Family Photos.......

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