In Governor’s uncommon act, a commoner’s touch

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 24

Leaving his Parliament sticker episode behind, Punjab’s new Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today sprang a surprise when he — accompanied by his wife and mother-in-law — quietly walked into the Tagore Theatre “uninvited”, as he put it, to enjoy an evening with poet-author-filmmaker Gulzar. 

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“An evening with Gulzar” had been planned much before Badnore was appointed the Punjab Governor. The Adviser to the UT Administrator, Parimal Rai, was the chief guest, and UT IGP Tajender Singh Luthra, himself a poet, the interlocutor.

“No sooner did I come to know that Gulzarji is in the city and performing, I could not stop myself from coming as an encroacher to the pre-planned event,” the Governor told the gathering.

The sexagenarian former BJP MP from Rajasthan sat through the two-hour event. Though the UT top brass tried to hurriedly extend formalities that protocol demanded, Badnore told the officers to relax, saying he had come on his own just to view the performance and meet Gulzar.

In another welcome move, Badnore today directed the Chandigarh Police not to stop traffic during his movement in the city, reversing the earlier practice. 

Today’s ‘no-frills’ show by Badnore was a complete change from 2005, when he was accused of forging a Parliament parking label as his car with a valid sticker had been sent for repairs. Badnore though claimed he had carried out a sting operation to test security.