'Bound By Contracts': Gautam Gambhir breaks silence on 'skipping' crucial meet on Delhi air pollution

Former cricketer and BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Monday broke his silence on missing the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Urban Development meeting over air pollution in Delhi on November 15 and said I know the meeting was very important but I was contractually bound.

"I had signed the contract in January and I joined politics in April. Due to contractual obligations, I had to go for the commentary. On November 11, I received the mail and on the same day, I had informed them the reason for not attending the meeting," the BJP MP added.

On Sunday 'missing' posters of Gambhir surfaced in Delhi's ITO area.

"Lost. Have you seen this person? He was last seen eating jalebis in Indore. The entire Delhi is looking for him," the message, along with a picture of Gambhir, read.

These posters cropped up after 38-year-old Gambhir had skipped the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Urban Development meeting, over air pollution in the national capital on November 15. The meeting was ultimately called off as MPs and bureaucrats were absent.

The AAP criticized the former cricket star for not attending the meeting, saying he was "busy enjoying" in Indore, at a time when Delhi is reeling under severe air pollution levels. Party leader Atishi made a scathing attack on Gambhir.

"A week is a long time in politics, but not for @GautamGambhir who clearly needs more time to get out of his primary commitment - cricket. He was notified of the Committee on Urban Devt meet on air pollution exactly one week ago. Very unfortunate that the Hon MP couldn't make time," she had tweeted.

This came after photographs of Gambhir along with his former teammate VVS Laxman and TV presenter Jatin Sapru had surfaced on social media, where the trio was seen relishing jalebis in Indore, the venue of the first Test match between India and Bangladesh.

Responding to AAP's criticism, Gambhir on last Friday had said the people will judge him by his work and not by the propaganda spread by the minions of the "honest Chief Minister" of Delhi.

(With ANI Inputs)

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