‘Controversy Out of Nothing’: Gurdaspur MP Deol on Appointing ‘PA’

Deol appointed Gurpreet Singh Palheri as his “representative” to “attend meetings and follow important matters”.

Bollywood actor and Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol on Tuesday, 2 July, called the furore over him appointing a ‘representative’ in his constituency, a “controversy out of nothing”.

On Monday, Deol had appointed a writer as his ‘representative’ in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, a move that came under fire from the ruling Congress, which described it as a "betrayal" of the voters' mandate.

Deol on Tuesday said that he had appointed the representative for smooth functioning of the work in Gurdaspur in his absence.

“It is extremely unfortunate to see a controversy being created out of nothing at all. I have appounted my PA (Personal Assistant) to represent my office in Gurdaspur. this appointment has been made to ensure smooth flow of work whenever I am out of Gurdaspur to attend the Parliament or travelling for work,” the statement said.

“The intention is to merely ensure that no work is disrupted or delayed due to no reason whatsoever and to keep myself updated on daily basis,” it further said.

In a letter issued on the letterhead of the Gurdaspur MP, Deol on Tuesday appointed Gurpreet Singh Palheri as his “representative” to “attend meetings and follow important matters”.

“I hereby appoint Gurpreet Singh Palheri, son of Supinder Singh, resident of village Palheri, district Mohali, Punjab, as my representative to attend meetings and follow important matters pertaining to my Parliamentary constituency, Gurdaspur (Punjab), with concerned authorities,” the letter signed by Deol reads.

Palheri, who is a writer and line producer, said the letter was issued on 26 June.

He tried to downplay the issue, saying, "It (appointment) is for local issues. It is like being in 24-hour service of people of Gurdaspur."

He, however, asserted that the Gurdaspur MP and the BJP were taking care of the public issues of the Lok Sabha constituency.

Palheri said Deol would visit the Gurdaspur constituency every month. "He will now come to Gurdaspur after Parliament session is over," he added.

Sunny Deol Betrayed Voters: Congress

Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa lashed out at Deol for appointing a representative and dubbed the move a "betrayal" of the voters of the border constituency.

“Sunny Deol has betrayed voters of Gurdaspur constituency by appointing a representative,” said Randhawa, an MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, an Assembly segment which is part of the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency.

"How can an MP appoint his representative? Voters have elected Sunny Deol as MP, not his representative," Randhawa told PTI.

Last month, the newly elected MP had faced flak from the people of the constituency after posting a video of his vacation in Kaza on Instagram.

Deol became MP after defeating Congress' Sunil Jakhar with a margin of 82,459 votes in the Lok Sabha polls.