Actress Amala Paul was recently accused of evading tax of around Rs 20 lakh by registering her car in the union territory. On August 4, the actress had bought a Mercedes S class car from a dealer named Trans Car based in Chennai. The cost of the SUV is more than a crore. The actress allegedly registered her car in Puducherry on August 9 and paid Rs 1.75 lakh as a tax for this purchase.  The road tax for vehicles costing more than Rs 20 lakh is just one percent in Puducherry, while in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is 20%, 18%, and 15% respectively. As per the investigating officer Mathrubhumi, Amala has evaded the purchase tax of around Rs 20 lakh. (Also Read: Amala Paul has a sassy response to the suchileaks controversy )

Reacting to allegation, Actress Amala Paul released an official statement which says:

“Respected Press and Media Friends,

I am in a state of shock the way an age-old daily publication, formed on nationalist principles by freedom fighters of malabar region, is today digging such shallow ways to raise their circulations and garner public attention. I feel I have the right to speak against these unwanted speculations and Harassment Caused to me and my family, despite paying taxes of more than a crore this year alone. And especially now, even when the respective authorities have found no unlawful act on my part.

I am an Indian citizen and assumed that I have every right to work and own any asset through out our nation freely. But now this self proclaimed socio-reformist newspaper, who has somewhere lost the meaning of its own name ‘MOTHERLAND’ and it’s own history, has resorted to play the divisive regionalist propaganda, by making the innocent local readers believe that their state is separate from the nation at large.

I wish to know from these wise-men that I have worked in Tamil Cinema as much as I have worked in Malayalam cinema, so help me rationalise my assets in both the states by respective distributions of my pay cheques. And should I have to ask their consent to work in Telugu Cinema or if I wish to own an asset in Bangalore? Last time I checked Bangalore’s currency is also the same i.e. Indian Rupees ‘INR’.

Have these wisemen forgotten from where our country has come in the last seventy years, after countless efforts by many a great men, finally there is a sense of unity in our diverse nation. Even when the government has succeeded in bringing the country under one unified tax regime, I humbly request them to stop dividing and isolating the sentiments of our people. I sincerely hope a day will come when our future generations, will not be Keralites, Tamilians or Punjabis or Gujaratis but be just Indians and working together for the growth of our great nation. Let’s fight the real fight, the fight against poverty, corruption, illiteracy, injustice and not resort to lynching law abiding citizens for short-sighted gains.

Peace & Regards

Amala Paul”