Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Amar Singh today described as ''unfortunate'' the query by Income Tax Department to superstar Amitabh Bachchan regardig his classification as a film actor.

''The person who had been declared as star of the millennium and who dominated the Indian film scene for about five decades should not have been treated like this,'' said Mr Singh while addressing a press conference here.

The query in controversy was made to Mr Bachchan regarding his role in the 'Kaun Banega Karorpati' programme as part of technical information, according to the Income Tax Department.

Whatever might have been the requirement, the IT people should know how to ask questions to an artiste of such a stature, said Mr Singh.

He said this has come as an 'insult to injury' to Mr Bachchan after the IT notice he was served while he was in the ICU of a hospital in Mumbai.

However, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had yesterday categorically denied reports that income tax officials put pressure on Mr Amitabh Bachchan to pay tax when the filmstar was admitted in the ICU.

The Income Tax Department had served two notices on Mr Bachchan before he was hospitalised, the second one four days before he had taken ill.

''Four days after the second notice was served, Mr Bachchan was admitted to hospital,'' Mr Chidambaram told reporters at Hyderabad.

The Minister, however, pleaded ignorance on the timing of the third notice, stating that he was abroad.