BJP MP Sunny Deol appoints 'representative' to Gurdaspur constituency
Gurdaspur: Bollywood actor and MP Sunny Deol has appointed a writer as his "representative" to the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, a move that came under fire from the ruling Congress, which described it as a "betrayal" of the voters' mandate.
In a letter issued on the letterhead of the Gurdaspur MP, Deol appointed Gurpreet Singh Palheri as his "representative" to "attend meetings and follow important matters".
"I hereby appoint Gurpreet Singh Palheri, son of Supinder Singh, resident of village Palheri, district Mohali, Punjab, as my representative to attend meetings and follow important matters pertaining to my Parliamentary constituency, Gurdaspur (Punjab), with concerned authorities," the letter signed by Deol reads.
Palheri, who is a writer and line producer, said the letter was issued on June 26.
He tried to downplay the issue, saying, "It (appointment) is for local issues. It is like being in 24-hour service of people of Gurdaspur."
He, however, asserted that the Gurdaspur MP and the BJP were taking care of the public issues of the Lok Sabha constituency.
Palheri said Deol would visit the Gurdaspur constituency every month. "He will now come to Gurdaspur after Parliament session is over," he added.
Meanwhile, Punjab cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa lashed out at Deol for appointing a representative and dubbed the move a "betrayal" with the voters of the border constituency.
"Sunny Deol has betrayed voters of Gurdaspur constituency by appointing a representative," said Randhawa, an MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, an Assembly segment which is part of the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency.
"How can an MP appoint his representative? Voters have elected Sunny Deol as MP, not his representative," Randhawa told PTI.
Last month, the newly elected MP had faced flak from the people of the constituency after posting a video of his vacation in Kaza on Instagram.
Deol became MP after defeating Congress' Sunil Jakhar with a margin of 82,459 votes in the Lok Sabha polls.
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Jio Studios has withdrawn its trademark application for 'Operation Sindoor': Reliance Industries
Mumbai: Reliance Industries has clarified that it has no intention of trademarking the term "Operation Sindoor", describing it as an evocative symbol of Indian bravery that belongs to the national consciousness. The company issued a statement on Friday, stating that its media arm, Jio Studios, had filed a trademark application inadvertently and without proper authorisation.
The statement read, "Jio Studios, a unit of Reliance Industries, has withdrawn its trademark application, which was filed inadvertently by a junior person without authorisation." It added that the company and all its stakeholders take immense pride in Operation Sindoor, which was launched by the Indian Armed Forces in response to a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack in Pahalgam. "Operation Sindoor is the proud achievement of our brave Armed Forces in India's uncompromising fight against the evil of terrorism," the company stated.
The clarification came after reports emerged that Reliance Industries, along with three other individuals, had submitted trademark applications for the term 'Operation Sindoor' under Class 41 of the Nice Classification. According to a report by Bar and Bench, the applications were filed between 10:42 am and 6:27 pm on May 7 by Reliance Industries, Mumbai resident Mukesh Chetram Agrawal, retired Group Captain Kamal Singh Oberh of the Indian Air Force, and Delhi-based lawyer Alok Kothari. All four had marked the term as “proposed to be used,” suggesting possible commercial use in the future.
Class 41 of the Nice Classification covers a wide range of services, including education and training, film and media production, live performances, digital content and publishing, and cultural or sporting events. It is a category commonly used by OTT platforms, broadcasters, production houses, and event organisers—leading to speculation that 'Operation Sindoor' might be used as a title for a film, documentary, or series.
The incident also sheds light on the lack of legal protection for the names of military operations in India. Currently, the Ministry of Defence does not register or treat such names as intellectual property, and they are not automatically safeguarded. This means that private individuals or companies can file trademark claims over such names unless specific legal steps are taken to prevent it.
