Deol has ‘hurt’ religious feelings: Ex-MLA in plaint

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Batala, May 6

Former three-time Congress MLA from Batala Ashwani Sekhri has filed a police complaint alleging that BJP candidate and film star Sunny Deol has “hurt the religious feelings of Sikhs and Hindus” during his road show in Gurdaspur on May 2.

He claimed that he had brought the incident to the notice of Batala SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman the day it happened. He said the officer asked for time to inquire into the matter. Sekhri claimed that the period of two days as demanded by the SSP had elapsed today, following which he submitted a formal complaint to the SSP.

He alleged that during the roadshow, Deol was sitting atop a mini truck and he “placed his feet on the photograph of Lord Shiva, which was hung in front of the vehicle. “The actor also used the ‘siropa’ presented to him by the management of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Dera Baba Nanak to clean the place where he sat on the truck. I have urged the SSP to register a criminal case, but the officer is not heeding to my request,” said Sekhri.

SSP Ghuman said an inquiry had been marked to DSP (City) Balkishen Singla.

Deol said he was not even aware of the matter. “I have come to contest an election and hurting religious feelings of anybody will be the last thing I will do,” he said.

Complaint over actor’s fan page

Jalandhar: An activist of the Congress has complained to the Election Commissioner, alleging that a sponsored fan page is garnering support for Sunny Deol on Facebook. In his complaint, Himanshu Pathak, PPCC vice president, has alleged that while the actor did not post the details of the particular fan page in his affidavit filed with the EC, the page was running in violation of the election code of conduct. He sought cancellation of Deol's nomination. tns