Nowhere is faux pas more dangerous than in politics is something that Sunny Deol, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) new recruit is learning it the hard way.
The actor-turned-politician who is contesting from the border constituency of Gurdaspur, on Thursday unwittingly made himself the subject of mockery when he was dumbfounded by a question the Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan earlier this year.
Reporter:"Do you think the Balakot strike will help keep Indian together?"
Sunny Deol: "What strikes? See I don't have much information about these things. All I want to say that I am here to fight. Once I win, I'll be more aware of these things and then I'll be able to talk to you on this."
And sure enough, the video of his admission has since gone viral, giving Twitterati a golden chance to have fun at the expense of the actor who is ironically best known for his ‘anti-Pakistani’ films like Border and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha.
The airstrikes were reportedly conducted in February earlier this year in retaliation of the attack on a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force soldiers in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 40 soldiers were killed in the attack.
Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh was also quick to take a jibe at the 62-year-old actor saying Mr Deol was nothing but a “Showpiece.”
“While (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has been taking credit for Balakot, this man (Sunny Deol) does not even know what had happened there," said Mr Singh.
"This showed the calibre of the people that BJP is seeking to impose on the people of India," he added.
This is the second time that Mr Singh has taken a swipe at the actor since he jumped into the poll fray.
Mr Singh who himself is a retired Army officer had earlier said “Mr Deol is a filmy fauji (soldier), while I am a real fauji,” in a likely reference to Mr Deol’s portrayal of a soldier in the 1997 Bollywood film ‘Border’.
Mr Deol is contesting against Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar in his first electoral fight.
Polling will be held in Gurdaspur on May 19. Results for all seven phases will be declared on May 23.
