Jagmeet Singh boasts of his hair, says ready to reveal it under right conditions

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, left, poses for a photo with local resident Mathieu Dallaire, during a campaign visit for local candidate Gisele Dallaire, Tuesday, October 10, 2017 in Alma Que. (Jacques Boissinot / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

ALMA, Que. -- Newly minted federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the hair nestled tightly under his turban is real and it's spectacular.

During a trip to Quebec's Saguenay region Tuesday ahead of a federal byelection later this month, Singh said he's sometimes asked what's under his Sikh religious headwear.

His response appeared to challenge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to a sort of hair-off.

Singh wears a turban in public to hide what he referred to as his luscious mane.

The turban has been the subject of controversy since he ran for his party's leadership due to it being a potential liability in the fiercely secular province of Quebec.

"Sometimes, people ask me, what's inside your turban? And I say: 'A lot of hair!"' he said in Alma, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City.

"I have very long hair. And I will show it. But I want to decide when I can do it in an interesting way."

He mentioned he had already revealed his hair on the CBC comedy, the "Rick Mercer Report."

Singh ended the hair-talk with a sort of challenge to Trudeau, although he didn't directly name the prime minister, who has received international recognition for what is considered to be a gorgeous do.

"People have talked about someone else's hair," he said to laughter. "I have more hair, it's longer and it's nicer."

The Lac-Saint-Jean riding was held by former Conservative Denis Lebel and the byelection is scheduled for Oct. 23.