A political row has erupted in Maharashtra after Amitabh Bachchan resumed his customary Sunday appearance outside his Juhu residence, Jalsa, without the bulletproof glass enclosure that had been installed following a bomb threat.

The actor greeted fans on November 8 without the temporary protective screen, just days after being seen behind reinforced glass during his weekly interaction with admirers. His son, Abhishek Bachchan, accompanied him and appeared to keep a close watch on the security arrangements, speaking discreetly with private guards and senior Mumbai Police personnel deployed around the property.

The development has triggered a war of words between the Congress and the BJP, bringing the safety of Bollywood personalities back into the political spotlight.

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant questioned the decision to remove the barrier, asking whether authorities had assessed that the threat had diminished or whether the arrangement was withdrawn because it had become politically uncomfortable for the government.

“Whether bulletproof glass is removed as it shows the government in bad light or the threat is over, this is something only Amitabh ji can answer,” Sawant said.

He argued that taking down the protective screen did little to address the wider anxiety among members of the film industry. “The bulletproof glass may have been removed, but when will the fear in the minds of Bollywood actors, artistes, producers and directors go away?” he asked.

Sawant also sought an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on when the film industry could expect a secure working environment. Without naming gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, he alleged that the individual responsible for creating an atmosphere of fear was being housed comfortably in Gujarat's Sabarmati jail.

The Congress leader accused the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, where Devendra Fadnavis is the chief minister, of failing to adequately protect people associated with the film industry.

The BJP rejected the allegations, with party MLA Ram Kadam accusing the Opposition of manufacturing a controversy around a temporary security measure. He maintained that the glass partition had been put in place for a limited period and dismissed claims that its removal was the result of government pressure.

Kadam said the Congress was dragging a prominent artist into a political dispute to advance its own agenda.

The exchange comes against the backdrop of repeated threats and attacks targeting Bollywood figures, some of which have reportedly been linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

In the most recent high-profile incident cited in the debate, two gunmen allegedly fired five rounds at actor Tiger Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu on October 18. Shroff, 36, escaped largely unharmed, but his driver and a bystander, who works as a vlogger, sustained injuries.

Bachchan's Sunday appearances outside Jalsa have been a fixture for more than 40 years, drawing crowds of fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the veteran actor. His brief appearance behind bulletproof glass last week, followed by the removal of the barrier on November 8, has now turned the familiar ritual into another point of contention in the debate over the safety of Bollywood personalities.