NEW DELHI: The National Students' Union of India Goa (NSUI) on Friday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging to remove actor Akshay Kumar from a government advertisement on road safety with a theme 'Sadak Suraksha Jeevan Raksha'.
The advertisement featuring Akshay Kumar was launched in 2018 to promote a 'Road Safety Awareness Programme' across the country.
NSUI said that an Indian citizen has the right to be an ambassador and represent the government in its advertisements.
"With utmost seriousness, we object to this appearance of a Canadian citizen in a government advertisement with the theme "Sadak Suraksha Jeevan Raksha" where Akshay Kumar is acting as a traffic policeman. It is also not acceptable for all the Indian citizens to see a Canadian representing the government of India," NSUI said.
Appealing to dismiss the advertisement at the earliest in the interest of the citizens of India, NSUI said: "Although we strongly believe in the message that is been given in the advertisement, but as an Indian citizen we strongly believe that only an Indian citizen has the right to be an ambassador and represent the government in an advertisement run by the Ministry of Road transport."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDQ3-7-wAOI&feature=youtu.be
Earlier in the day, actor Akshay Kumar had said he does not understand the "unwarranted interest and negativity" about his citizenship adding that he is a tax-payer in India and intends to make the country 'stronger and stronger.'
"Really don't understand unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India," Kumar wrote on his Twitter handle.
He has been trolled lately due to his absence from the polling booths during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Mentioning that the citizenship issue concerning him is constantly dragged into needless controversy, Kumar wrote, "While all these years, I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone, I find it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy, a matter that is personal, legal, non-political, and of no consequence to others."
Recently, the actor also became the talk of the town for his 'non-political interview' with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.