Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Pathankot: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday trained guns on BJP's Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol for his 'absence' from the constituency, reminding him that politics means serving and being available to constituents round the clock.
It is not a nine to five job, Mann remarked while taking a dig at Deol.
Addressing a gathering here, Mann declared giving a major fillip to the development of Pathankot district and said the state government will explore the feasibility of giving a special industrial and trade package to the border town.
The chief minister was addressing the gathering during a 'Sarkaar Vyapaar Milni' programme, during which he also said he will personally take the issue of starting flights from the Pathankot airport to Delhi with the Centre.
He said massive efforts are already afoot to give a boost to the tourism industry in this area as it is blessed with natural beauty.
Targeting Deol, the chief minister alleged that despite being elected from Gurdaspur, the BJP MP is not aware of basic topography of Pathankot.
Mann said he can bet that Deol must not be aware where Dhar Kalan or Chamrod is located in Pathankot.
He further said the people of Pathankot had made a mistake by electing the Bollywood star who has no link with the people and the region.
Mann alleged that Deol has jeopardised the development of the region and said the state government will leave no stone unturned for giving boost to the development of the area.
The chief minister reminded the Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur that politics is not a nine to five job but a person should always be available to the people.
He took on Deol over his absence from Gurdaspur and also said the people had elected him but he neither went to Parliament nor ever visited his own constituency.
Mann quipped that the star of tinsel world crossed borders in movies but he never enquired about the well being of people of this border region that had elected him.
In the movies, he said, the Bollywood actor is often seen uprooting hand pumps from the earth but his performance as an MP was dismal as he was not able to even install a hand pump for providing pure water to people.
The chief minister said rather than electing 'some big name from outside the state, the wise people of the state must vote for a person who is local and available to them'.
Mann said there are a lot of dedicated leaders from the state who are serving the state with dedication and with zeal. He said people must vote for these leaders rather than selecting the 'parachute leaders chosen by people from outside'.
Meanwhile, Mann said 'Sarkaar Vyapaar Milnis' are aimed at resolving all the issues being faced by the trading community in the state.
He said the traders play a pivotal role in the progress of the state due to which the state government has taken this initiative to solve the issues faced by them.