Election Commission appoints Sonu Sood as state icon of Punjab

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Sonu Sood as the state icon of Punjab. The news was shared by the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Punjab on his Twitter handle. “The real hero of the people is now the state icon of Punjab — Sonu Sood,” read the tweet [translated from the Punjabi]. 

Sood has honoured for the humanitarian work he carried out during the COVID-19 lockdown when he sent thousands of migrant labourers back to their hometowns free of cost. 

The governor of Punjab VP Singh Badnore took to Twitter to congratulate the actor on Monday.

“I congratulate Sonu Sood, the youth icon, appointed as the state icon by the ECI to make people aware about ethical voting. Your efforts during the trying time of COVID situation are widely appreciated. God bless! [sic],” he wrote. 

Sood replied to the tweet, saying, “Thank you so much for your encouraging words, sir. It’s been an honour that cannot be expressed in words. Humbled.” 

Sood recently announced his book titled I Am No Messiah. Co-written by veteran journalist and author Meena K Iyer, the book delves into the challenges faced by the actor while helping migrant labourers during the lockdown.