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Cherie Blair caught in Punjab politics

Former British prime minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie has tripped herself up with an off-the-cuff comment at a school function in a Punjab village

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Cong MLA objects to her calling ex-SGPC leader facing criminal trial a 'role model'

CHANDIGARH: Former British prime minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie has tripped herself up with an off-the-cuff comment at a school function in a Punjab village and landed in a political controversy.

Young Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira shot off a letter to Cherie on Wednesday objecting to her comment about former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and senior Akali Dal leader Jagir Kaur.

Cherie told a gathering at a government school in Dhilwan village in Punjab's Kapurthala district on Tuesday that Jagir Kaur was a "role model" for others.

Now, Khaira wants her to know that Jagir Kaur is already facing a criminal trial for conspiring to murder her own daughter Harpreet Kaur in April 2000 for marrying a lower caste boy of her own choice.

"Your comments and speech matter a lot to the public and intellectuals here as you have a great social standing and background as a successful lawyer and your husband, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, is now roving ambassador on international issues," stated the letter.

Cherie was in Dhilwan village, 210 km from Chandigarh, to inaugurate the renovated building of the government school at the invitation of London-based NRI Raj Loomba.
The NRI's Loomba Trust and the Punjab government contributed Rs5 million each for the school.

The millionaire NRI and his siblings had studied in the school before migrating to Britain where they made it big.

Khaira said Cherie's comments about Jagir Kaur were misleading and unwarranted and corrective measures were required from her to undo the damage.

The Congress legislator had defeated Jagir Kaur in the Bholath assembly constituency in Kapurthala district in the February 2007 assembly elections

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