Sunny Deol became MP after defeating Congress’ Sunil Jakhar with a margin of 82,459 votes in the Lok Sabha polls. (PTI) Sunny Deol became MP after defeating Congress’ Sunil Jakhar with a margin of 82,459 votes in the Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)

Actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol has appointed a “representative” in Punjab’s Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency and has hence come under fire from the ruling Congress in the state. In a statement issued on the letterhead of the Gurdaspur MP, Deol said he appointed Gurpreet Singh Palheri as his “representative” to “attend meetings and follow important matters”.

“I hereby appoint Gurpreet Singh Palheri, son of Supinder Singh, resident of village Palheri, district Mohali, Punjab, as my representative to attend meetings and follow important matters pertaining to my Parliamentary constituency, Gurdaspur (Punjab), with concerned authorities,” the letter read.

Palheri, who is a writer and line producer, said the letter was issued on June 26. He, however, downplayed the issue, saying, “It (appointment) is for local issues. It is like being in 24-hour service of people of Gurdaspur.”

Palheri also said that Deol was monitoring the public issues in his constituency and pays a visit every month. “He will now come to Gurdaspur after Parliament session is over,” he added.

Calling it a “betrayal” of the voters’ mandate, Punjab cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, “Sunny Deol has betrayed voters of Gurdaspur constituency by appointing a representative.”

“How can an MP appoint his representative? Voters have elected Sunny Deol as MP, not his representative,” the MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, an Assembly segment which is part of the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, told PTI.

Last month, the newly elected MP had faced flak from the people of the constituency after posting a video of his vacation in Kaza on Instagram. Deol became MP after defeating Congress’ Sunil Jakhar with a margin of 82,459 votes in the Lok Sabha polls.

(With PTI inputs)

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