Editing Amitabh Bachchan (section)

== Political career ==
In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of a long-time family friend, [[Rajiv Gandhi]]. He contested the [[Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency|Allahabad]]'s (presently Prayagraj Lok Sabha constituency) seat for the [[8th Lok Sabha]] against [[Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna|H. N. Bahuguna]], former [[List of Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh|Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh]]. With 68.2% of the votes in his favour, he won by one of the highest victory margins ever in [[Elections in India|Indian elections]].<ref name=election>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/amitabh/politics.htm |title=Amitabh Bachchan: Stint in Politics |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=5 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109123607/http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/amitabh/politics.htm |archive-date=9 January 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1987, ''[[Indian Express]]'' said his brother Ajitabh Bachchan owned an apartment in Switzerland, giving rise to speculations about his involvement in the "[[Bofors scandal]]", revealed in the year before.<ref>{{cite news |last=Patil |first=Vimla |title=The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum – Lead Article |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010304/spectrum/main1.htm |access-date=12 December 2021 |work=www.tribuneindia.com |date=1 March 2004 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212081854/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010304/spectrum/main1.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> Bachchan resigned from his seat in July 1987.{{Why|date=September 2022}}<ref>{{cite news |author1=T. N. Ninan |author2=Brij Khindaria |title=Amitabh Bachchan resigns from Lok Sabha, Ajitabh lands in Swiss trouble |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19870815-amitabh-bachchan-resigns-from-lok-sabha-ajitabh-lands-in-swiss-trouble-799845-1987-08-15 |access-date=12 December 2021 |work=India Today |date=15 August 1987 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212080350/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19870815-amitabh-bachchan-resigns-from-lok-sabha-ajitabh-lands-in-swiss-trouble-799845-1987-08-15 |url-status=live}}</ref> Ajitabh Bachchan sued Swedish newspaper ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'' for linking him to Bofors payments in 1990 and won damages in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news |last1=De Sarkar |first1=Dipankar |title=Swedish newspaper apologises for naming Ajitabh Bachchan in Bofors case |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/international/story/19900815-swedish-newspaper-apologises-for-naming-ajitabh-bachchan-in-bofors-case-812887-1990-08-15 |access-date=12 December 2021 |work=India Today |date=15 August 1990 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212080352/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/international/story/19900815-swedish-newspaper-apologises-for-naming-ajitabh-bachchan-in-bofors-case-812887-1990-08-15 |url-status=live}}</ref> Sten Lindstrom, the Swedish police chief who had investigated the case, said in 2012 that "Indian investigators planted the Bachchan angle on" ''Dagens Nyheter''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Makkar |first=Sahil |title=CBI defends its role in investigation |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/LiZNvbjP7WpfnXBEYy0O2J/CBI-defends-its-role-in-investigation.html |access-date=12 December 2021 |work=mint |date=25 April 2012 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212080352/https://www.livemint.com/Politics/LiZNvbjP7WpfnXBEYy0O2J/CBI-defends-its-role-in-investigation.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Why|date=September 2022}}

Bachchan's old friend, [[Amar Singh (Uttar Pradesh politician)|Amar Singh]], helped him during the financial crisis caused by the failure of his company, [[Amitabh Bachchan Corporation|ABCL]]. Thereafter Bachchan started supporting the [[Samajwadi Party]], the political party to which Amar Singh belonged. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and represented the party as an MP in the [[Rajya Sabha]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930235326/http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/18/stories/2007021804271000.htm "Bachchan has no plans for the election."] ''The Hindu''.</ref> Bachchan appeared in advertisements and political campaigns for the party. His claim that he too was a farmer in the advertisements was questioned in court.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJuYOasTF-bsTo0AQjW96aD2Kr2w |title=Bollywood's Bachchan in trouble over crime claim |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=4 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116120716/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJuYOasTF-bsTo0AQjW96aD2Kr2w |archive-date=16 January 2008}}</ref>

Bachchan has claimed to have been banned by film press during [[The Emergency (India)|the emergency years]] for his family's friendship with [[Indira Gandhi]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Sunny |title=Amitabh Bachchan |date=25 July 2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-83871-430-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2wj8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT40 |access-date=13 December 2021 |archive-date=4 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404171905/https://books.google.com/books?id=2wj8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT40 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Bachchan has been accused of using the slogan "blood for blood" in the context of the [[1984 anti-Sikh riots]]. Bachchan has denied the allegation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.news18.com/news/world/us-federal-court-summons-amitabh-bachchan-in-an-alleged-human-rights-violation-connects-it-to-the-1984-anti-sikh-riots-969691.html |title=US federal court summons Amitabh Bachchan in an alleged human rights violation; connects it to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots |website=News18 |date=26 February 2015 |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=11 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011234411/https://www.news18.com/news/world/us-federal-court-summons-amitabh-bachchan-in-an-alleged-human-rights-violation-connects-it-to-the-1984-anti-sikh-riots-969691.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2014, Bachchan was summoned by a court in Los Angeles for "allegedly instigating violence against the Sikh community".<ref>{{cite news |title=US court summons Amitabh Bachchan in connection with 1984 anti-Sikh riots |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150225/entertainment-bollywood/article/us-court-summons-amitabh-bachchan-served-his-hollywood-agent |newspaper=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |access-date=19 January 2018 |archive-date=19 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119235830/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150225/entertainment-bollywood/article/us-court-summons-amitabh-bachchan-served-his-hollywood-agent |url-status=live }}</ref> Bachchan in an interview with journalist [[Arnab Goswami]] offered to fight the case in court and asked the accusers to file the same as also present proof.<ref>{{cite web |title=Frankly Speaking with Amitabh Bachchan – Exclusive – Full Interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9nWqbZyAEo |access-date=17 September 2020 |website=YouTube | date=30 May 2015 |publisher=[[Times Now]] |archive-date=3 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903182445/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9nWqbZyAEo |url-status=live}}</ref> He was also one of the trustees of the [[Rajiv Gandhi Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news |date=15 July 1991 |title=Rajiv Gandhi Foundation established with Sonia Gandhi as chairperson |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/signposts/story/19910715-rajiv-gandhi-foundation-established-with-sonia-gandhi-as-chairperson-814569-1991-07-15 |access-date=3 August 2020 |website=India Today |archive-date=31 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831011722/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/signposts/story/19910715-rajiv-gandhi-foundation-established-with-sonia-gandhi-as-chairperson-814569-1991-07-15 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Our Board |url=http://rgfindia.org/our-board-rajiv-gandhi-foundation/ |website=Rajiv Gandhi Foundation |access-date=20 September 2020 |date=9 March 2016 |archive-date=20 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820202638/http://rgfindia.org/our-board-rajiv-gandhi-foundation/ |url-status=live}}</ref>