Sidhu’s TV show no violation, says Nanda

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22

Local Bodies, Tourism and Culture Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is having the last laugh. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has been made to understand that the office-of-profit law does not bar Sidhu from continuing with his innings as a celebrity-judge on a popular TV comedy show.

A day after Amarinder officially threw the ball in Advocate General Atul Nanda’s court, the Chief Law Officer of the state told the CM that, on the face of it, Sidhu’s appearance in the TV show did not violate office-of-profit rules.

Nanda is yet to formally submit his opinion to the CM. But it seems Sidhu will not be told to pull out of the small screen. Nanda, when contacted, said he and the CM discussed the issue during a meeting. “The Chief Minister had a few questions to ask on the issue. I replied to the queries and am now in the process of formulating my opinion,” Nanda said.

“Prima facie, no case of violation of the office-of-profit law is made out against Sidhu in case he continues to appear on the show,” he said.

The development is significant as the issue appears to have larger ramifications. The Advocate General’s opinion could have turned out to be a source of extensive but unforeseen troubles for some other ministers involved in myriad activities.