An interesting ‘MISSING’ poster is doing the rounds in Delhi and this time it targets former cricketer turned BJP leader Gautam Gambhir. The poster reads “Lost, last seen eating jalebi in Indore. The entire Delhi is looking for him.” The poster also carries a representative image of the politician.
The poster came up as a form of criticism against Gautam Gambhir’s repeated absenteeism from the parliament’s standing committee meeting that was responsible for discussing the aggravation in the pollution levels of Delhi. A large number of ‘MISSING’ posters in Gambhir’s name emerged in the ITO area of New Delhi.
It is being reported that the posters have popped up in Delhi to condemn and bring to public notice the fact that BJP politician from Delhi Guatam Gambhir skipped the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Urban Development Meeting at a time when Delhi has been seriously grappling with the issue of rising air pollution. He is the elected candidate from East Delhi and while his part of the city was under a thick blanket of smog and pollutions levels went beyond even the danger limit, Gambhir’s absence from this urgent meeting became a point of criticism for many. AAP which brought out these posters, took a dig at Gautam Gambhir and conveyed the message that while Delhi was choking, Gambhir was busy enjoying himself in Indore.
AAP’s Atishi made a vehement attack on Gambhir’s absence and said, “ A week is a long time in politics but nit for Gautam Gambhir who clearly needs more time to get out of his primary commitment-cricket. He was notified on the Committee on Urban Development Meeting on air pollution exactly one week ago. Very unfortunate that the honourable MP couldn’t make time.”
Gautam Gambhir responded to the AAP’s attack by saying that the people in his constituency where well aware of the things that he and his party had done for them and they would judge their work based on reality and not on the “false narrative” painted by his opponents. He also justified his presence at a cricket match by arguing that it was his family and that he had turned up to support it.
It is ironic that our parliamentarians don’t focus on issues that are so important for the citizens and find it difficult to attend meetings that are so vital for the creation of solutions to urgent problems such as pollution.
While Delhi is choking under a thick cloud of smog and pollution, why are our selected leaders not taking our problems seriously? This political denial of present crisis and the denial of any eagerness to look for effective solutions is a sheer disrespect to the will of the people. Gautam Gambhir must be responsible to his constituency and answerable to his people just like all our MPs and MLAs, who have come to power because of the very people they may now ignore.
