Will respect sentiments of all: Amitabh on Tamil protests

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Amitabh Bachchan Monday said he would make sure everyone's sentiments were respected, a day after protests from a Tamil group urging the megastar not to host the India International Films Awards (IIFA) function in Sri Lanka.

'A Tamil group picketed my houses, asking me to not conduct IIFA in Sri Lanka. I beckoned personnel from Wiz (Wizcraft) who own and conduct IIFA, to come and meet me to discuss this matter and give it due importance,' Amitabh, who is the brand ambassador of IIFA, posted on his blog.

Some Tamils marched from the superstar's Pratiksha bungalow to his Jalsa residence Sunday in Mumbai urging him to boycott the Colombo awards ceremony.

The Canadian Tamil Congress Sunday said, 'Amitabh is a great hero for us in the Tamil diaspora, but we are very disturbed and profoundly saddened by our hero's proposed visit to a regime which has perpetrated crimes against Tamils. By visiting Sri Lanka, Amitabh will be lending credibility to a regime which has destroyed Tamils ruthlessly and committed horrendous human rights violations.'

Reacting to this Amitabh wrote, 'I believe Wizcraft personnel met representatives of this protest presentation along with the police personnel that came over from the Juhu Police station, heard what they had to say, accepted a petition given by them, explained to them their side of the story and told them that the governing body of the event would meet immediately to conference on this matter and reach some kind of final path and solution.'

'The sentiments of all must be respected and I hope that we can plan and execute that with understanding, peace and grace.'

The 67-year-old recently visited Sri Lanka to announce Colombo as the 2010 destination for the awards ceremony.