‘Munnabhai’ Sanjay Dutt wins over crowds at Samajwadi Party rally

April 18th, 2009 LUCKNOW - For once his Munnabhai remarks have landed Samajwadi Party general secretary and Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt in trouble. He was Saturday booked for offering to give Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati a 'jaadu ki jhappi' and a 'pappi' during an election rally.

April 18th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party general secretary and Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has been issued a show cause notice for allegedly making disparaging remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati during an election rally, an official said. 'The show cause notice against Sanjay Dutt was issued this morning for making derogatory comments against the chief minister at a rally,' Vipin Kumar, the sub-divisional magistrate of Pratapgarh district, told IANS over telephone.

April 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Samajwadi Party Thursday appointed actor Sanjay Dutt as its national general secretary. Dutt, who was refused permission by the Supreme Court to contest the elections because of his conviction under the Arms Act, said: 'Mein dil se kam karoonga aur sach ke liye kam karoonga (I will work with my heart and for the truth).'

March 16th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bollywood actor and Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Lucknow Sanjay Dutt on Sunday delivered his first political speech and promised to work for the betterment of the city. "I am with you.

March 15th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Wearing a red cap and playing the politician to the hilt, film actor Sanjay Dutt Saturday kick-started his election campaign as the Samajwadi Party nominee for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, describing himself as a 'grassroots party worker'. After arriving here in the afternoon, he drove down straight to the Samajwadi Party state headquarters where a huge contingent of the party's youth activists were waiting for him.

March 15th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Large crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, as he campaigned in the Uttar Pradesh capital Sunday. The lawns at the Lal Baradari, where Dutt, accompanied by SP general secretary Amar Singh, arrived to attend a Holi Milan function were jam-packed and the roads surrounding the area were filled with people trying to catch a glimpse of Munnabhai.

March 15th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bollywood actor-turned-politician and socialist Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Sanjay Dutt re-enacted role in the popular movie 'Munnabhai MBBS' while addressing youth activists in his constituency, Lucknow, on Saturday. "I am not here to give a speech.

February 17th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bollywood star and the Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow Sanjay Dutt will meet party workers later Wednesday to formulate strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and interact with various sections of the public. Dutt, who arrived here Tuesday night, will also visit a house in the congested Aminabad locality where his father Sunil Dutt lived for nearly four years till 1951 while he worked with All India Radio.

February 17th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bollywood star and Samajwadi Party's candidate-to-be from Lucknow Sanjay Dutt kicked off his poll campaign here Wednesday with hundreds of his fans thronging the city streets to catch a glimpse of the man they call 'Munnabhai'. Accompanied by wife Manyata and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, Sanjay straightaway went to meet a family in the Jopling Road locality with whom his father Sunil Dutt stayed while he worked as an anchor with the All India Radio (AIR).

January 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Condemning Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt's remark that married women should not use their father's surname as archaic and patriarchal, women activists have pointed out that his statement is also in contrast with the ideology of the founder of the Samajwadi Party that he has joined. 'Ram Manohar Lohia, founder of the Samajwadi party that Sanjay Dutt has joined, was against caste.

January 16th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Amidst beating of drums, blowing of trumpets and slogans of 'Munnabhai jeetega' filling the air, Bollywood star and Samajwadi Party's Lok Sabha election candidate Sanjay Dutt arrived here Saturday to a rousing welcome. Thousands of people, including party activists and the actor's fans, jostled for space to catch a glimpse of Dutt, who arrived at the Samajwadi Party office on the Vikramaditya Marg after a roadshow.

January 16th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who has decided to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections as a Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow, Saturday visited the city, winning over crowds as he promised to practise 'Gandhigiri'. A bearded Dutt, sporting whike kurta-pyjama and black jacket, was flanked by his wife Manyata and party activists at the rally organised by the Samajwadi Party.

January 15th, 2009 MUMBAI - Ending speculation and ignoring objections from his family members, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt Friday night announced that he would contest the next parliamentary elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket. He also said that he was the eldest member of the Dutt family and so there was no need to discuss his political plans with anybody.

January 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - If Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt is not qualified to contest the Lok Sabha elections, his wife Manyata could be the Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow in his place, party general secretary Amar Singh said here Saturday. 'If Sanjay Dutt is unable to contest the polls, we will request the Dutt family to allow (his wife) Manyata to fight from Lucknow,' Amar Singh told reporters here.

January 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bollywood film star Sanjay Dutt will be the Samajwadi Party candidate to contest the next Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow, the party announced here Thursday. Party general secretary Amar Singh told reporters that if Dutt was disallowed from contesting the elections because of the criminal cases against him, the party would move the Election Commission or the Supreme Court.