New Delhi: Together with his iconic “tarikh pe tarikh, tarikh pe tarikh” monologue within the hit 90s film Damini, actor Sunny Deol voiced the frustration of the frequent man in opposition to the snail-paced judiciary system. Satirically, the actor-turned-politician has failed miserably to talk out for his folks the place it issues most — the seventeenth Lok Sabha the place he’s an MP from Punjab’s Gurdaspur.
Think about this: The Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) MP didn’t attend the just-concluded Winter session of Parliament whilst barely a year-and-a-half is left for the present Lok Sabha to finish. Not that the previous three-and-a-half years are a lot to talk of — Deol requested one query in all that point in opposition to 156, the nationwide common of questions requested by an MP, in all probability making a file of types.
Again in 2019, Deol was a shock selection because the BJP candidate to tackle Congress’ then MP Sunil Jakhar, who’s now in the identical celebration like his one time-rival. While the BJP might have gotten fortunate with Deol’s win, the actor appears to have failed miserably in his new function.
A have a look at Deol’s Twitter account exhibits that it’s seemingly getting used as a promotion automobile for his forthcoming movie initiatives. ThePrint reached the Gurdaspur MP through calls and messages for a remark, however didn’t obtain a response until the time of publication. This report will likely be up to date when a response is obtained.
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Deol’s no-show
In accordance with knowledge from the PRS, a Delhi-based non-government analysis organisation specializing in legislative functioning, it was in the course of the finances session of 2020 (January-March) that Deol requested his sole query pertaining to unlawful mining of sand from the rivers — a difficulty that continues to search out resonance in Punjab.
So far as his attendance in Parliament goes, there was a no-show in monsoon session (July-August 2022), just like the winter session, and it was 11 per cent in the course of the finances session the identical yr. His greatest was 65 per cent within the winter session of 2019 whereas his common attendance in Parliament is simply 21 per cent in opposition to the nationwide common of 79 per cent, as per the PRS.
Additionally, Deol has neither bothered to take part in any Parliamentary debate, nor has he launched a single non-public member’s invoice — each inarguably among the many best methods for an MP to take part within the law-making course of.
The present Lok Sabha has seen fairly a couple of contentious points, starting from the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir to the Nationwide Citizenship Modification Act, and Covid, being debated by lawmakers. Deol skipped all of them in opposition to the nationwide common of MPs at 39.7 per cent. He has not launched any non-public member’s invoice ever, whereas the nationwide common is 1.2.
Deols within the Home
Sunny’s father and actor Dharmendra additionally tried his luck in politics. Dharmendra contested the 2004 Lok Sabha election from Bikaner in Rajasthan and received. However he additionally by no means took politics critically.
The veteran actor barely attended Parliament classes or visited his constituency. The posters of his ‘disappearance’ would preserve popping up throughout his 2004-09 time period. Nonetheless, he had the candour to confess to the media personnel, whereas answering their questions at Parliament Home again then, that “BJP chief Pramod Mahajan trapped me into coming into politics”, and that he didn’t know that being a Lok Sabha MP was so many onerous work. It’s not shocking that Dharmendra by no means contested any election after that.
In the meantime, even on the age of 74, Hema Malini, the MP from Mathura and Dharmendra’s spouse, is pretty common in Parliament, registering her presence in each session. Her common attendance is 50 per cent, in line with the PRS knowledge.
Within the final three-and-a-half-years, she has requested 74 questions and has participated in 17 debates on points together with the surrogacy invoice, dialogue on the President’s handle, and a regulation for the safety of medical doctors. She has additionally often been part of native occasions in Mathura.
Lacking in motion
It’s not simply Parliament the place Deol is lacking from, however his constituency as effectively. In October 2022, an irate public put up posters with the message ‘Seek for the lacking’ in Pathankot.
Leaders of the opposition events mentioned the one time the BJP MP was seen in his constituency was in 2020 throughout Covid.
“In these three-and-a-half years, Deol has not finished any growth work on this space, nor has the advantage of central schemes reached the general public. He had appointed a private consultant right here who’s seen sometimes. He calls himself the son of Punjab however by no means comes right here,” a pacesetter of the Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP) informed ThePrint.
Related posters had come up in 2020 as effectively. Deol had then hit again at his detractors with a video on Fb, asking them to spend their power in doing social and growth work.
In his defence, Deol’s private assistant in Gurdaspur, Pankaj Sharma, informed ThePrint that the actor-turned-MP’s visits shouldn’t matter so long as he will get growth work finished.
Deol received a neighborhood centre, an open gymnasium, and plenty of bathrooms constructed, Sharma mentioned, including that he additionally received the approval for the development of a Rs 100-crore bridge on river Ravi to hyperlink 12 border villages.
Considered one of Deol’s shut associates mentioned that “the actor might spend a whole lot of time in Mumbai, however he has by no means been negligent in finishing up growth work in Gurdaspur” and that he does attend Parliament “when he will get time”.
“Making a movie actor an MP has its benefits and drawbacks. He (Deol) might deliver within the votes by his reputation however politics just isn’t his precedence. They (events) use this technique to win seats, however the folks of the realm should bear the loss (that it entails in the long term). Even in the course of the state elections, Deol didn’t marketing campaign for the celebration,” a Punjab BJP chief conceded to ThePrint.
BJP’s Jakhar informed ThePrint, “The general public also needs to suppose…He is not going to come after successful, however the public voted him to energy. This isn’t occurring for the primary time, the general public and democracy should be robust in order that they keep away from voting for irresponsible folks.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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