Objection raised to ‘Englishspeaking machine’ ads too

CHANDIGARH: The lawyer-activist who has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court against Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s appearing in TV shows on Wednesday produced copies of advertisements featuring Sidhu promoting an ‘English-speaking machine’ and demanded that he be restrained from appearing in such ads.

He submitted that in the promotional advertisement, the minister is seen saying that even a person who does not know English at all will speak fluent English once he presses a button on this machine. The lawyer, HC Arora, stated that, after attaining a high Constitutional post, Sidhu should not appear in such advertisements. “Tall claims made by Sidhu in the promotional advertisement cannot be achieved,” advocate HC Arora said. The HC adjourned hearing for October 10.

The court was approached by the lawyer seeking directions to the state government to restrain Sidhu from appearing in ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’, arguing that a public servant “can’t be allowed to do private business”.

ON MINISTER RANA’S ‘CONFLICT OF INTEREST’ In a PIL pertaining to another cabinet minister, Rana Gurjit Singh, a division bench permitted Arora to withdraw it with the liberty to file a fresh one, upon his request. Arora sought directions for changing power minister Rana Gurjit’s portfolio citing conflict of interest, arguing he could not be in charge of a portfolio which is doing business with firms he owns.