Punjab elections 2017: Badal bahu plays emotional card, gets trolled - Hindustan Times
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Punjab elections 2017: Badal bahu plays emotional card, gets trolled

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | By
Feb 01, 2017 12:32 AM IST

In an unusual move four days before Punjab goes to the polls, Union minister and Badal bahu Harsimrat Kaur Badal made a desperate appeal to voters to consider her family’s “sacrifice” during the decade-long Akali rule only to be trolled on social media by Aam Aadmi Party supporters, who wanted people to give the ruling family “much-needed rest for the next 10 years”.

In an unusual move four days before Punjab goes to the polls, Union minister and Badal bahu Harsimrat Kaur Badal made a desperate appeal to voters to consider her family’s “sacrifice” during the decade-long Akali rule only to be trolled on social media by Aam Aadmi Party supporters, who wanted people to give the ruling family “much-needed rest for the next 10 years”.

Union minister Harsimart Kaur Badal(HT Photo)
Union minister Harsimart Kaur Badal(HT Photo)

Seen as a last-ditch effort to woo voters, Harsimrat, attired in an orange and yellow suit with head covered, started the moving appeal by invoking the Gurbani in a video on Monday. The video began trending on social media soon after but ended up evoking sarcasm by AAP sympathisers on Tuesday.

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Harsimrat says her family and she sacrificed 10 years of their lives for the state yet people spoke ill of them. “Satgur ki sewa safal hai, je ko kare chit laaye,” she begins and adds, “This is what the Gurbani says and this is what our family has followed for 10 years. (Deputy chief minister and husband) Sukhbir Singh Badal neglected his health while working for Punjab. He’s been standing in the sun, drenched in sweat supervising projects like the one (Heritage Street) in Amritsar.”

Watch the video here:

“Whatever people may be saying about us, you know the reality. You can see the development around. The change has not happened on its own. No one managed to achieve so much in 60 years but us. Sukhbir did not bother about food or water and worked tirelessly. We have not even been able to take time out for one another,” the Union minister says, her voice cracking and eyes welling up in a rare display of emotion.

“Our children were kids when Sukhbir and I started working for the state. We didn’t even realise that they’ve grown up. From being kids they are almost of marriageable age,” she concludes.

Hours after the video started trending on social media and it was aired by Punjabi news channels, a “reply video” created by an unidentified AAP supporter mocked at Harsimrat’s appeal, offering a “solution” to her grievances.

The Sikh man in the video appealed to voters to be “kindhearted” and not vote for the Badals so that the family members can spend time with each another. “We are selfish people. Harsimrat ji is our sister. She has spoken so emotionally. Even got emotional listening to her,” he says in the video, keeping a straight face.

“For 10 years we have been demanding Sukhbir paaji work for us. This time, we should give him all the rest he needs. We should not cast a single vote in his favour or for any Akali so that he does not have so many responsibilities,” the man says.

“After all, family comes first. People will force Sukhbir paaji and Harsimrat bhenji to contest but we must make sure they don’t win so that they can spend time with their family,” he adds.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Chitleen K Seth was part of Hindustan Times’ nationwide network of correspondents that brings news, analysis and information to its readers. She no longer works with the Hindustan Times.

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