Gurugram: Singer and rapper Rahul Yadav Fazilpuria is gearing up to make his electoral debut. The artist, popularly known for the song ‘Kar Gayi Chull’ from the Bollywood film Kapoor & Sons, is the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate for the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls Saturday, along with the rest of the seats in Haryana.
The constituency was previously expected to witness a direct contest between actor and Congress leader Raj Babbar and the incumbent BJP MP Rao Inderjit Singh. However, with Fazilpuria entering the race, focusing on youth issues and advocating for ‘change’, it has now become a three-way contest.
In an interview with ThePrint, Fazilpuria, who draws his last name from his native village Fazilpur Jharsa, spoke at length about his days of struggle in Bollywood, why he decided to enter politics and why he thinks the current government’s inefficiency has created a “hell” like situation in Gurugram.
“Gurugram looks like Dubai from the outside because we see tall swanky buildings, but where is the infrastructure to support it? I have realised that the builders made these buildings, but the government failed at its job, because of which there is nothing here — from civic infrastructure to healthcare facilities,” Fazilpuria said.
He added, “When private hospitals can provide quality treatment, why can’t government hospitals, with all the funds at their disposal?”
“The government didn’t do what it was supposed to and now their inaction is making the city hell,” he claimed.
Slamming incumbent BJP MP and candidate from the Gurgaon seat, Rao Inderjit Singh, Fazilpuria alleged that despite getting many opportunities to serve the people, Singh did nothing.
“Gurgaon MP has been missing in action for the past 20 years. Raj Babbar (Congress candidate) is an outsider. If he doesn’t win, will he (Babbar) work to solve people’s problems here? People need a young dynamic leader, who is ready to struggle for them,” he told ThePrint, highlighting that he is a local and understands the situation on ground.
“Rao Inderjit Singh is busier than even Prime Minister Modi. People are unable to meet him and don’t even have his phone number. How will they raise their grievances?” he added.
When asked about JJP’s stance, given that it was in an alliance with BJP until a few months ago, the rapper-turned-politician said that be it the farmers’ protest or the Agniveer scheme, JJP had always raised its voice.
“After 75 years of independence, people don’t have the basic amenities of education, healthcare and sanitation, which are the first duties of any government.
If I get a chance to do something, I will work towards building a Film City in Haryana for the youths who wish to enter the film industry, so that they don’t have to struggle like me,” he said.
Fazilpuria, who is a school dropout, noted that he formally joined the JJP five years ago. Explaining the reasons behind becoming a politician, he said that he had realised that the only way to bring about change was via politics.
“Before joining electoral politics, I participated in the farmers’ agitation and created songs for farmers. I participated in the agitation for Ahir regiment, and wrote 1,000 letters to Modiji. I also raised my voice against singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder, as I felt what had happened with him was wrong,” said Fazilpuria, maintaining that he was not aware of the allegedly ‘anti-national’ lyrics in some of his songs.
“I met Sidhu Moosewala just twice or thrice. I can’t understand Punjabi much and his Punjabi was quite rustic. I can’t comment on his lyrics, but I felt bad about his murder, because just like me, he had risen from a humble background,” he added.
“I was born in a simple family. My father is a farmer and used to run a brick kiln. I have achieved this position with a lot of hard work and struggle. I gave a lot of auditions in Delhi and Mumbai for singing and acting. My struggle, which started in 2009, continued for years. My first song was recorded in 2013,” he recalled, saying that no one from his family had ever been a singer or actor or had had a Bollywood connection.
“The same is true with respect to politics. No one in my family has been in politics, but yes I had good relations with Chautalaji, especially Dushyant,” he added.
Fazilpuria, who gained recognition in Bollywood with his Kapoor & Sons song, said that newcomers usually face a lot of resistance in the entertainment industry. “Just like politics, nepotism is rampant in Bollywood, too. It is difficult for newcomers,” he said
When asked about the common trend of celebrity MPs going ‘missing’ after being elected and having a poor track record in the Parliament, Fazilpuria said that if voted to power, he would dedicate “considerable” time to the constituency.
“Very few celebrities are busy with their work 30 days a month. Most of them just pretend to be busy. If I am voted to power, I will divide my time, and ensure I do justice to both my constituency and my music,” he said.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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