Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said he would continue his weekly TV appearances, saying that that he can multitask and that it will not hamper his work for the state. Sidhu said he will fly to Mumbai every Saturday, shoot for The Kapil Sharma Show and then fly back to Punjab on Sundays.

Sidhu took charge as minister of Tourism, Culture and Local Bodies on March 16. “Listen to me. People made me win five times in the past 12 years and no one had an objection,” he said.

However, his insistence that he would juggle his state duties and TV appearances has sparked a row with political leaders. Senior advocate and nominated Rajya Sabha MP KTS Tulsi said Sidhu has to choose between his ministerial post and the TV show. “Being a minister is a whole time job and there is no question of doing any other assignment... Either he will have to resign as a minister if he wants to continue the show or he will have to discontinue the show,” Tulsi told Times Now.

Although Sidhu insisted that his TV show will not interfere with his Cabinet responsibilities, claiming that it is his “only source of livelihood”, Opposition parties seized the opportunity to criticise the new minister. “Even when he was Amritsar MP, he never looked after his constituency. It is for this reason that we decided with the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] in 2014 not to make him the candidate for the Lok Sabha elections,” Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Harcharan Bains told The Times of India.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA HS Phoolka said Punjab needs “undivided attention” to regain its lost glory. “Working tirelessly for even 24 hours will not be enough to clear the mess and I’m sure that being mature person, Sidhu will realise that once he begins work,” he told The Times of India.

However, BJP national secretary RP Singh took a more diplomatic stand. “He can continue with his profession as long as it doesn’t affect his Cabinet duties. Also, he should not use his portfolios to gain any undue advantage,” Singh said.