Nagda Residents Angered by Amitabh Bachchan’s Misstatement

Big B Trolled for Calling Nagda a “Small Village”

Indore (Kirti Rana):
Residents of Nagda, an industrial town in Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh, are upset with Amitabh Bachchan for describing Nagda as a “small village” during the December 23 episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Following the broadcast, locals have started trolling him on X (formerly Twitter) and are preparing to file a police complaint and initiate court proceedings. The people of Nagda allege that in an attempt to praise the works of the Aditya Birla Group, Amitabh Bachchan provided false information about Nagda and insulted the city.

What Amitabh Bachchan Said

In the December 23 night episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati aired on Sony TV, Amitabh Bachchan referred to Nagda as a small village in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. According to him, due to erratic rainfall and a falling water table, the village was facing acute water scarcity. To address this problem, Grasim Industries of the Aditya Birla Group constructed dams on the Chambal River and installed new RO systems. He also stated that irrigation is now taking place over 5,000 hectares of farmland, benefiting around 9,000 families and nearly 300,000 people. He further said that Grasim has established a hospital here under the Jansseva Trust, where about 104,000 patients receive treatment annually.

“Not a Small Village; Former CM Had Announced It as a District”

Senior journalist Kailash Sanolia, speaking to Prajaatantra, said that Nagda is not a small village. Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced plans to make it a district. During the Kamal Nath government in 2020, a proposal to declare Nagda a district was passed in the cabinet, and later claims and objections were invited during the BJP government. As per the 2011 Census, the population was around 1.39 lakh, which after nearly 14 years has now reached approximately 1.3 lakh. In the last Assembly elections, the number of voters in the city was about 72,000.

Nagda Lies on the Banks of the Chambal; No Water Scarcity

Social media users are also pointing out that Nagda is situated on the banks of the Chambal River. There has never been erratic rainfall nor has the city ever faced water scarcity. Residents are questioning that the dams built by the Birla company were not meant for farmers’ irrigation but for running their own industry. Grasim industry uses approximately 1.5 MCFt of water daily as raw material. This is about five times the amount of water used by the city’s residents for drinking purposes in a day. As for the claim of year-round irrigation over 5,000 hectares, people argue that there is not even that much cultivable land in the area. Farmers are annually barred in May under the Drinking Water Testing Act from drawing water from these dams. Every year, farmers’ electric pumps are shut down and confiscated. Amitabh Bachchan’s claim that 9,000 families and 300,000 people are benefiting implies an average of 40 members per family, which people find unbelievable.

Treatment at the Grasim Jansseva Hospital is not free; patients are charged. It is also alleged that company officials are given priority treatment, while common people have to wait in queues.

Praise of Grasim Under the Influence of Capitalists

Since the broadcast of Kaun Banega Crorepati, discussions among Nagda residents suggest that under the influence of capitalists, the superstar lavishly praised Grasim. In reality, due to the hazardous CS-2 gas emitted by the Birla industry, hundreds of hectares of farmers’ land have become barren. In nearby villages such as Azimabad, Pardi, Bhatisuda, Parmarkhedi, etc., acidic water flows from hand pumps because of industrial pollution. This issue has been raised multiple times in the Assembly. While Amitabh Bachchan spoke about providing drinking water to villages in Nagda, the government has officially declared 24 villages in this region as pollution-affected. People in these villages cannot drink Chambal water, which is why the government has sanctioned a special ₹24 crore drinking water scheme.

“I Told Amitabh the Truth on X”

Social activist Abhay Chopra said that Amitabh Bachchan provided completely misleading information about Nagda on Kaun Banega Crorepati. “I have told Amitabh Bachchan the truth on X. I have also written to the Madhya Pradesh DGP, Ujjain SP, and the Collector on X, demanding registration of a case against the superstar,” he said.

“Calling It a Small Village Is an Insult”

Vijay Singh Raghuvanshi, who works in the field of organic farming, said that Nagda is not a small village but part of the Khachrod Assembly constituency and a first-grade municipality. With a population of around 1.5 lakh and 36 wards, calling Nagda a small village is an insult to the city. He stated that he is filing a court case against Sony TV and Amitabh Bachchan.

“Dams Were Not Built for Farmers’ Welfare”

Progressive farmer and former sarpanch of Bhatisuda village, Manohar Bhartiya, said it is incorrect to claim that Grasim built dams for farmers’ welfare. Farmers are stopped from drawing water from the Chambal River, and their electric motors are confiscated. Because of this, under his leadership, farmers launched a major agitation on November 13, 2001. Farmers raised the issue that they were being prevented from taking water from the river and that their cattle were dying of hunger. About 2,000 cattle and farmers from nearly 40 surrounding villages participated in the movement.

Kirti Rana, Sr Journalist, Indore 

Big B Trolled