The Punjab government is exploring legal opinion on the issue of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's appearance on a popular television comedy show after he became a cabinet minister in the Amarinder Singh government.
Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda said here on Tuesday that he will give legal opinion on the issue soon.
"I will give legal opinion on the matter once the file regarding this issue is put up to me," Nanda said here.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said on Monday that he will seek legal opinion on whether Sidhu, as a minister, can continue the TV show.
Sidhu was sworn-in as cabinet minister in the Punjab government on March 16. He has been allocated the portfolios of local government, tourism and cultural affairs.
The chirpy Sidhu has been defending his move to continue 'The Kapil Sharma Show' saying that he will fulfil all his duties as a minister and will go to Mumbai only for one night on Saturday to shoot for the show.
He claimed that his only earning was from this show and he had stopped doing other things like sports commentary.
"It is a matter of only one night. I will be available for the rest of the time," Sidhu told media here.
He maintained that doing a TV show did not come under the ambit of 'office of profit' since he was not getting any money from the government.
But opposition leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are questioning Sidhu's move.
They said that Sidhu should decide whether he wanted to be a minister or continue as a TV celebrity.
Noted constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap said, “It’s more a question of propriety that a question of law. There is not law banning a minister from taking up such assignments. But once a politician becomes a minister, he does not go for such things. It has become a matter of convention now.”
Kashyap – a former Lok Sabha secretary general — gave the example of advocates who quit legal practice after becoming ministers in the Central government.
Another former Lok Sabha secretary general PDT Achary said, “There is no express provision of law that debars a minister from featuring in a TV programme or any other similar thing. But it’s certainly undesirable and improper.”
Both Kashyap and Achary emphasised that if a minister appears in TV shows he must ensure that there was no conflict of interest involved. They also raised the issue of practicability as the dual role could come in the way of discharge of his functions as a minister.
The entertainment industry comes under the Tourism and Culture Ministry while Sidhu is Punjab’s Local Bodies, Tourism and Culture Minister.
Achary said, “We will have to see what kind of TV appearance or performance is it. But generally it would be seen as an improper conduct even if there was no illegality involved in it.”
Cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has said he wanted to continue with his entertainment shows on television even after becoming a minister. "What I do after 6 pm is no one's business," Sidhu is reported to have said.
