The controversy surrounding veteran actor Hema Malini’s election to Rajya Sabha on March 3 refuses to die down with a national award winning Kannada actor expressing displeasure today over the BJP’s decision to prefer an “outsider”.
Actor Tara was speaking at a function organised by Corporation Bank to declare athlete Ashwini Akkunje as its brand ambassador.
“Corporation Bank’s gesture in rewarding local talent as its brand ambassador and a job is appreciable. Our party should have considered artists like us for Rajya Sabha election instead of bringing outsiders like Hema Malini”, Ms. Tara said.
Ms. Tara had actively campaigned for BJP across the state in the 2008 assembly elections.
Ms. Ashwini, a gold medallist in Common Wealth Games and Asian Games hails from Udupi district, from where the Corporation Bank was formed about 106 years back.
The Bank’s CMD Ramnath Pradeep said the bank would render assistance to Ms. Ashwini to take part in the next Olympics to realise her dream of winning a medal for the country.
On the occasion of World Women’s Day celebrations, Mr. Pradeep said the bank would soon launch a new scheme to extend loans to women ranging from Rs two lakh to Rs 25 lakh to take up self employment ventures.
