New Delhi: Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma on Friday dismissed the reports suggesting that Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra have been roped in as the new brand ambassadors of the 'Incredible India' campaign.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said government is yet to decide on a brand ambassador for 'Incredible India' campaign and the probable names which are doing rounds are just media speculation.
Sharma's comments come after Aamir Khan was removed as the brand ambassador of the tourism ministry's Incredible India campaign and names of Bollywood celebrities Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Akshay are floating around to be the face of the campaign.
Aamir Khan, whose comments on perceived intolerance in the country had invited flak from BJP, ceased to be the mascot for the campaign as the contract for it expired.
"It was the (private) agency which has hired him. Since the contract with the agency is no more, automatically the arrangement with the actor no longer exists," Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma had said.
Bollywood's 'Mr Perfectionist' Aamir had said it had been an 'honour and a pleasure' for him to be the 'Brand Ambassador for the Incredible India campaign for the past 10 years'.
Days ago, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Amitabh Kant said Aamir damaged the "brand India" while being the brand ambassador of the celebrated 'Incredible India' campaign.
Khan had late last year stirred a controversy after he expressed "alarm and despondency" over rising instances of intolerance in the country in the past few months and said that his wife (Kiran Rao) even asked if they should move out of India as she feared for the safety of their children.
