Differences b/w Capt and Sidhu take ugly turn

| | Chandigarh
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Differences b/w Capt and Sidhu take ugly turn

Monday, 20 May 2019 | Monika Malik | Chandigarh

Differences between Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu took an ugly turn on the polling day with the Congress veteran mincing no words to say that the former cricketer wanted to replace him as the Chief Minister.

Chief Minister’s assertion came days after Sidhu, while campaigning in Bathinda on the last day of campaigning for May 19 elections, launched a veiled attack at Capt Amarinder by talking about a “friendly match”.

Besides, Sidhu’s wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had categorically accused Capt Amarinder and party’s state affairs’ in-charge Asha Kumari for denying her ticket to contest from Chandigarh and Amritsar, which the Chief Minister rubbished as “non-sense”. Coming to his wife’s defence, Sidhu asserted that “she would not lie”.

The development has brought to fore the fissures within the Congress, with several senior ministers demanding action against their Cabinet colleague Sidhu. So much so, senior-most minister Brahm Mohindra has maintained that they would soon write to the party president Rahul Gandhi to rein in Sidhu.

However, there are some who have tried to play down the development, coming to the defence of Sidhu, who was the Congress’ star campaigner, this election, but campaigned in his home state for just two days.

Without naming anyone, Sidhu had indirectly accused the Chief Minister of entering in a pact with the Badals to ensure victory of their family members in Patiala and Bathinda respectively. Only past week, Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had accused the Chief Minister and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal of striking a deal to ensure the victory of their spouses.

Capt Amarinder’s wife Preneet Kaur is contesting elections in Patiala, while Sukhbir’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is eyeing a hattrick in Bathinda constituency.

Visibly upset, Capt Amarinder criticised Sidhu for damaging the Congress with his ill-timed comments against him and the party leadership in the State.

“If he is a real Congressmen, he should have chosen a better time to air his grievances instead of just ahead of voting in Punjab,” he said in an informal chat with mediapersons before leaving for Patiala to cast his vote, along with other members of his family.

On Sidhu’s recent controversial and rebellious remarks, Capt Amarinder said that he was harming the party with such irresponsible actions, and it is not his election but that of the entire Congress.

“It is for the high command to decide on any action against Sidhu, but the Congress, as a party, does not tolerate indiscipline,” said the Chief Minister adding that he personally did not have any differences against Sidhu, whom he had known since the latter was a child.

Capt Amarinder, in response to a question, maintained that perhaps, “Sidhu is ambitious and wants to be chief minister”.

Disagreeing with Capt Amarinder’s this assertion that Sidhu wanted to be the chief minister, the state Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa expressed surprise saying that he would not understand in what context chief minister made this statement.

However, he strongly demanded action against Sidhu, along with party’s two Rajya Sabha members — Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo — for harming the party’s image in the state.

Randhawa maintained that not only he, but the entire state leaders are with the Capt Amarinder, and are confident of winning polls under his leadership in the state.

The state Finance Minister Manpreet Badal tried to underplay the development, saying that it was the media that took out a meaning out of Sidhu’s “friendly-match” statement. “Sidhu did not accuse Capt Amarinder in his speech but media wrote about it,” he added.

Action reaction

Chief Minister’s assertion came days after Sidhu, while campaigning in Bathinda on the last day of campaigning for May 19 elections, launched a veiled attack at Capt Amarinder by talking about a “friendly match”.

Besides, Sidhu’s wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had categorically accused Capt Amarinder and party’s state affairs’ in-charge Asha Kumari for denying her ticket to contest from Chandigarh and Amritsar, which the Chief Minister rubbished as “non-sense”. Coming to his wife’s defence, Sidhu asserted that “she would not lie”.

The development has brought to fore the fissures within the Congress, with several senior ministers demanding action against their Cabinet colleague Sidhu. So much so, senior-most minister Brahm Mohindra has maintained that they would soon write to the party president Rahul Gandhi to rein in Sidhu.

On Sidhu’s recent controversial and rebellious remarks, Capt Amarinder said that he was harming the party with such irresponsible actions, and it is not his election but that of the entire Congress.

“It is for the high command to decide on any action against Sidhu, but the Congress, as a party, does not tolerate indiscipline,” said the Chief Minister adding that he personally did not have any differences against Sidhu, whom he had known since the latter was a child.

Capt, in response to a question, maintained that perhaps, “Sidhu is ambitious and wants to be CM”.

Disagreeing with Capt Amarinder’s this assertion that Sidhu wanted to be the chief minister, the state Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa expressed surprise saying that he would not understand in what context chief minister made this statement

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