Well-known ex British parliamentarian Keith Vaz has appealed that a park in Leicester be named after Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.
Rushley Fields in Rushley Mead, Leicester has been recommended by Vaz to be named after the Superstar who celebrated his 79th birthday on Monday.
Vaz recalled how Bachchan had accepted his invitation in the past and visited Leicester which has more people of Indian-origin than any city in Europe. Bachchan also took a diabetes test which was negative but encouraged many to do likewise, remembered Vaz.
Bachchan, who has been honoured by Government of France in the past with their highest civilian award, Knight of the Legion Award in 2007, was also voted the greatest star of stage or screen by BBC News Online users. He was the first living Asian to have been modelled in wax at London’s Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London.
In a press release Vaz said: “I find it disappointing that successive British governments have failed to honour him even though other countries like France have done so…If we name a park after him, there will always be a part of England which is forever Amitabh.”
Pradip Dullabh, chairman of the Bharat Football Club, has seconded the move.
Parks in Leicester have been named after the Civil Rights leader Revered Jessie Jackson and former South African president Nelson Mandela.
