Former cricketer and television host cum commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu has clarified that he will not leave The Kapil Sharma Show – a comedy show on private television network – even after becoming a cabinet minister in the new Punjab government headed by Captain Amarinder Singh.
Sidhu had left BJP to join Congress before the assembly elections and his decision proved to be right as Congress won the elections. Earlier it was rumoured that he was in talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too and wanted the post of Deputy Chief Minister, regardless of which party he joined.
In the Amarinder Singh cabinet, he has been given the charge of Local Government, Tourism & Cultural Affairs Ministry. There were reports that he was upset with the ministry he was given. However, Sidhu took charge of the new ministry today without any hassles.
Talking to media persons after taking charge, Sidhu dismissed the reports that he was upset. He said that he would have joined AAP if he wanted some post, because Kejriwal was ready to give him the post of Dy CM. He said that he didn’t want any specific post, but just wanted to work for the people.
When asked if he will leave his television career to work for the people, Sidhu denied any such possibility. Questions were asked specifically about The Kapil Sharma Show where he appears as a guest and laughs at all the jokes, besides cracking a few.
Sidhu reportedly said that he can’t leave comedy as that was his real life.
He retorted that if people didn’t have any problems with him appearing on TV, why should media have any. Rejecting the possibility that his TV appearances will hamper his work, he said that he will take a late-night flight for the shooting and come back before anyone wakes up.
Sidhu had faced criticism earlier too for giving more importance to his TV career than politics. An NGO has put posters about “missing Sidhu” in 2013 taking a dig at him not being present in his parliamentary constituency when he was with the BJP and a Member of the Parliament.
Let’s see if Sidhu can balance laughter and labour this time in his second innings as a Congress man and state minister.