Comedian-turned-actor Bhagwant Mann Singh is being touted by many as AAP’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Punjab elections. The 43-year-old has, however, courted his fair share of controversy.
The comedian-turned-politician hails from Sangrur, Punjab – the same constituency from which he is a Lok Sabha MP.
After completing his schooling from Sangrur, Mann went to Punjab University. During his time there, he participated in many college festivals – where he began pursuing a career in comedy. He even won two gold medals for his work in competitions for his college.
Mann was married to Inderjit Kaur for 14 years, before they filed for divorce in 2011.
Kaur could not follow Mann from her home in Australia when he decided to pursue a career in Indian politics
He runs a charity — The Lok Nehar Foundation — that helps children affected by polluted water.
Controversy
While he won his Lok Sabha seat in 2014, by a record two lakh votes, Mann’s political career has been riddled with controversy.
- In a teary-eyed video message, Mann pleaded with Narendra Modi to bring back 39 Indians who were supposedly captured by ISIS.
- During a funeral at Faridkot, Mann was allegedly removed from the ceremony after he turned up drunk. He was heckled as he made a hasty escape.
- AAP MP Harinder Khalsa asked for his seat to be changed after he complained that Mann reeked of alcohol during a parliamentary session.
- His most controversial moment, however, came when he began live-streaming the process of question hour — from within Parliament— to Facebook. He was heavily criticised for endangering national security, though Mann claimed that his video posed no threat.
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