CHANDIGARH: In an apparent reference to Sunny Deol's popular war film, 'Border,' Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh said the actor who recently joined BJP was just a filmi fauji with no ground support in Gurdaspur. Furthermore, the CM dismissed any threat from the actor contesting on BJP ticket against Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar in the constituency.
Speaking to the press, Singh quipped, "He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy fauji, while I am a real fauji. We will defeat him, he is no threat to Sunil or the Congress," he declared.
Singh was accompanying Sunil Jakhar for filing his nomination papers as the Congress candidate from Gurdaspur.
"Sunny might have played 23 Punjab’s Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri in Border but that does not make him a real fauji," he said.
When pointed out that Sunny Deol’s latest movie 'Blank' was set for release, Amarinder further retorted, “He will draw a blank (in the elections).”
He rejected the possibility of Sunny Deol posing any serious threat to Sunil Jakhar in Gurdaspur, saying Sunil has been working on the ground in Gurdaspur while Deol had no locus standi there. “Sunny Deol will run away, back to Bollywood, and not be there for the people of Gurdaspur,” he added.
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Earlier accompanying his wife and Congress candidate from Patiala, Preneet Kaur, to DC office for the filing of her nomination papers for the Lok Sabha elections. Amarinder said that in the absence of any Modi wave, and with no achievements to boast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a state of complete regression and would be ousted from power.
"We will win for sure, we will win all the 13 seats, including Bathinda (from where Harsimrat Badal and Ferozepur from Sukhbir Badal are contesting for Shiromani Akali Dal),’’ he said.
The mood in Punjab was completely changed from what it was in 2014, he said further adding that Rahul Gandhi would definitely be campaigning in the state, though the dates and venues were yet to be decided.