Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol's prolonged absence puts welfare works on back burner

Gurdaspur, July 24

In 2019, Sunny Deol had arrived on the political firmament with a bang. He had won the Gurdaspur parliamentary seat by a whopping margin of 70,000 votes. Three years down the line, he has disappeared without even a whimper. He’s not been seen in his constituency for the past two years.

The MP has lost the faith of those very voters who had placed him on a high pedestal. Talk to any voter and he will show total disinterest in Deol or anything even remotely linked to him. His prolonged absence means developmental works have become a casualty.

The actor’s lackadaisical attitude is due to the fact that he was never a politician nor did he ever wanted to be one. Even during the polls, his only interest was launching his son, Karan Deol, in Bollywood. Any BJP leader worth his salt knows that the party virtually arm-twisted him into contesting through its Maharashtra unit. The BJP needed numbers in the Lok Sabha and Deol gave them one.

In the run-up to the polls, the actor, spoon-fed by local leaders, spoke of how he would remain with the people, if elected. He also spoke of getting Pathankot’s 3.6-km narrow gauge track elevated to relieve the city of congestion. The file continues to shuttle between the Railways and the government. Deol’s report card shows he has done nothing to date. His proposal to build a Rs 190-crore bridge on the Ravi near Makkoran Pattan, too, is on the drawing board.

Locals want a rail link between Gurdaspur and Mukerian. If this project fructifies, the distance between the border cities and Delhi will be considerably shortened. The Army cantonment at Tibri, 6 km from Gurdaspur, also stands to benefit. The unfinished Qadian-Beas rail link, too, remains on paper.

The MP’s apathetic attitude has given enough ammunition to Congress men to fire salvos at him. Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa said, “The man from tinsel town has befooled the voters. There should be no doubt about that.” Likewise, ex-Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa said, “Deol should understand that acting is not politics and politics is not acting. — TNS

Unkept promises

• No progress on elevation of 3.6-km narrow gauge track
• No water sports facilities at Ranjit Sagar Dam
• Rs 190-cr bridge on the Ravi still on the drawing board
• Unfinished Qadian-Beas rail link, too, remains on paper

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