Bhopal, Aug. 30 (The Telegraph): Two Madhya Pradesh-based rights activists, one of them a Vyapam whistleblower, today said Amitabh Bachchan could run into protests if the actor, whom they considered an "inspirational figure", did not condemn the scam before speaking at next month's World Hindi Conference here.

Ajay Dubey and Paras Saklecha said the star could even be greeted with black flags.

Bachchan has agreed to speak on the concluding day of the September 10-12 meet that the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate.

Dubey, a member of Transparency International, said Bachchan "should first spell out his stand" on the scandal and "condemn the manner" in which the multi-crore-rupee job and exam scam was "allowed to flourish, failing which he would face protests".

The activist said they were planning to send the actor documents on the scam, which relates to illegal admissions into professional colleges and recruitment in government departments. The scam has seen dozens of accused and witnesses die, some mysteriously.

"Amitabh Bachchan can himself satisfy how Vyapam played havoc with the lives of millions of youths. The actor is an inspirational figure for all of us," Dubey said.

Saklecha, a former Independent MLA, said Bachchan and Narendra Modi should speak on the scam before coming to Bhopal for the Vishwa Hindi Sammelan. "It's strange even the Prime Minister hasn't said a word on Vyapam."

Saklecha, credited with publishing Vyapamgate, a 100-page summary of the scam, was the first legislator to raise the issue. "I started the fight when I took on the government in the Assembly in 2009," he recalled. Since then he has filed numerous petitions, apart from holding protests and media conferences.#

The Hindi meet, last held in Johannesburg, is being jointly organised by the foreign ministry and the Madhya Pradesh government. Mridul Kumar, joint secretary (Hindi) at the ministry, said a significant part of India's population spoke Hindi, yet many found it difficult to get employment in the country as English had become the "prevalent language" for securing jobs.

"The idea at the meet is to... promote the use of Hindi in science and technology, administration, foreign policy, judiciary and information technology, among other sectors," he said.

Bhopal is the home of Bachchan's in-laws. His mother-in-law, Indira Bhaduri, stays here and every time the actor visits the Madhya Pradesh capital, he makes it a point to call on her. Bachchan's father-in-law, Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, was a journalist based in Bhopal and later headed the state's tourism board.

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