A Congress MLA from Jharkhand has vowed to build roads in his district that are smoother than Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's cheeks.
In a video that appears to have been recorded by Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari himself, the Congress politician is heard suggesting that children from the tribal community and the state's youth will use such clean roads. He continued, "Construction of 14 world-class highways will begin soon."
The MLA, who is also a doctor , is no stranger to making contentious statements. He recently stated that masks "should not be used for an extended period of time."
"Masks should not be worn for long periods of time. As an MBBS doctor, I believe that wearing a mask for an extended period of time is unnecessary. In crowded places, a mask should be worn. There's no need to be concerned about Covid-19's third wave. In five to six days, the symptoms will be gone "When asked why he didn't wear a mask in a show, he answered.
The comparison of highways to the skin and cheeks of movie actors appears to be a favourite of politicians of all stripes and eras.
Gulabrao Patil, a Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader, recently stirred a controversy when he compared the smoothness of roads in his Assembly constituency of Jalgaon district to actor-turned-politician Hema Malini's cheeks. Later, the minister apologised for his remark.
Later, a Sena MP stated that such comparisons were made in the past to show respect for the renowned actor. He used Lalu Yadav, the former chief minister of Bihar, as an example.