CHANDIGARH: Ahead of Assembly elections, Punjab Congress has put out a new social media video, which portrays Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as superhero 'Thor' with an accompanying hashtag "Congress hi aeyigi."
The video is made out of a scene taken from 'Avengers: Infinity War' a Hollywood film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Avengers. Faces of Charanjit Singh Channi, along with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Navjot Singh Sidhu are superimposed on the faces of characters of 'Thor', 'Bruce Banner', and 'Captain America'.
It also shows the faces of PM Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal superimposed on faces of the characters of 'aliens'.
The video depicts how Channi as 'Thor' comes to the rescue of his fellow avengers from the attack of aliens and is shown to eventually defeat the 'aliens'. Captain Amarinder Singh, the former chief minister who has floated his own party, the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and Sukhbir Singh Badal, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)have also been portrayed as evil aliens in the clip.
"We will do whatever it takes to redeem our beloved state from the clutches of evil forces working against the interest of Punjab and its people," tweeted the Punjab Congress along with the video.
The Congress Party, Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) led by Balbir Singh Rajewal, and Sanyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) led by Gurnam Singh Charuni, allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, and the former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) along with the AAP and SAD, with its alliance partner the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are among the parties who will battle it out in the ensuing elections.
Meanwhile, Punjab will go to the polls in a single phase on February 20 with counting of the votes slated on March 10.
Actor Sonu Sood too on Monday said Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi should be given one more chance.
"Channi sahib has done amazing work in the last few days. I want him to become CM again. He is an amazing human being. He had little time, it takes some time to adjust. But in such a short span of time, great enthusiasm and passion had been shown by him and he should be given more chance," Sood told ANI while he was campaigning in Punjab's Moga.
"Congress has an edge this time," he claimed.
On being asked about his sister, Malvika Sood, contesting upcoming Punjab polls from Moga, Sonu Sood said, "My mother, a professor, taught children all her life. My father was a social worker. Schools, colleges and dharamshalas here are constructed on our plots of land. So, it is in our blood."
"My sister took more responsibility, maximum vaccinations in our city were facilitated by her. As far as education and helping people is concerned, she had worked in Moga on a large scale. People pushed her to be a part of the system," he added.
Reacting to earlier speculation that he and his sister were joining Aam Aadmi Party, he said. "Parties do not matter, the thinking of individuals changes the society and the country. Arvind Kejriwal is still close to me and even today I am the brand ambassador of the 'Desh ka Mentor' of the country."
There were talks of joining the party at the top level with Arvind Kejriwal and Raghav Chaddha. Talks were held with many parties. But right now I am very busy with my work, I am building hospitals in Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mumbai. I am very busy as an actor too. If I want to come into politics, I should come with my full heart, I am not ready for it right now, he added.
"Positions are won, not demanded, there was talk with the BJP too, but I said that I have not made up my mind yet." I have refused Rajya Sabha seat twice," he stated.
On the question of why his Malvika Sood joined Congress, Sonu Sood said that "Moga has a large number of people associated with Congress. We grew up with people who were associated with Congress."
On people protesting against Malvika Sood contesting from Moga, he said, "Some people say that a parachute candidate has landed, but many of these people were not even born, since the time, our family has been doing social service. People are with us. Whether we will win or not, is not known, but today we are working for health and education."
Referring to the IT raid conducted on his premises, Sood said that "when my premises were raided, not only the people of some parties but the whole country had supported me. My job is to connect with people."
On the question of leaving the responsibility of Punjab State Icon, Sonu Sood said "I left the responsibility of Punjab State Icon because my own sister was coming to contest elections, I was neutral in such a situation. As an icon, I used to appeal to the people to vote by being neutral."