Another Badal ‘bahu’ set to play part in public life

Following in the footsteps of her sister-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Vinu Badal, wife of state finance minister Manpreet Badal, took a first stride towards entering public life as she held a “darbar” at the Bathinda circuit house, a few kilometres from the venue where her husband was addressing a public meeting on Sunday.

With finance minister’s officer on duty (OSD) by her side, Vinu gave ear to people’s problems. “After seeking votes during the assembly elections for my husband and the Congress, it’s time to listen to people’s problems and resolve them,” she told HT.

Confirming that it was her first public hearing, Vinu said she was a facilitator to her husband who was now preoccupied in bringing out the state budget.

On Monday, Vinu will inspect a few government schools in the city.

In a post on social media on Saturday, Manpreet’s media adviser Harjot Sidhu had announced: “Vinu Badal will listen to people’s problems on Sunday and resolve them on the spot. All the pubic representatives and workers of the party are requested to come. Place: Circuit house, Time: 11am.”

The message worked as the people, especially from the rural areas, converged on the circuit house where Vinu sat and sought ideas from Manpreet’s team how to take up each case individually.

Unlike her sister-in-law Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s persona, Vinu spoke in chaste Hindi, shook hands with women and wished them good luck.

“Madam (Vinu) had called up on phone yesterday, so I am here to tell her about the problems people are facing in our locality,” said a local Congress worker, Yashodha Devi of Udham Singh Nagar. She wanted Vinu to help a handicap woman for renovating her dilapidated house. Some even came with requests of transfer of their kin.