Mumbai: Security outside Big B's houses fearing SP, BSP protest

Anticipating protests by workers of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) following the truce between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and actor Amitabh Bachchan, police have provided additional security at latter's bungalows in suburban Juhu.

"As a precautionary measure, we have deployed our men at Jalsa, Prateeksha, Janak - three bungalows of Bachchan," a police officer told PTI.

Patrolling in the area has been stepped up, the officer said, adding that, "as the SP and BSP are upset with the patch-up between Thackeray and Amitabh, their workers may resort to any activity disturbing law and order. Hence we are alert and deployed our personnel outside the bungalows."

Burying their five-year-old hatchet, Bachchan shared dais with Thackeray at the seventh anniversary of MNS's movie industry wing `Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena' at the Shanmukhanand Hall in Central Mumbai last week.

Raj Thackeray had earlier targeted Bachchan for becoming the brand ambassador of Uttar Pradesh. Wife Jaya Bachchan too incurred MNS's wrath when she said that being from Uttar Pradesh, she would prefer to speak in Hindi rather than in Marathi.

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi had said that Amitabh Bachchan's appearance at the MNS function was an "insult" to the north Indians. The actor should clarify whether Raj Thackeray had accepted only Amitabh, or all the people from north India, he said.

According to police sources BSP had indicated the authorities that it would stage a demonstration outside the actor's bungalow.