Day-long hectic efforts to placate sulking Navjot Singh Sidhu came to naught on Wednesday with the cricketer-turned-politician remaining adamant on his resignation from the Punjab Congress president’s post. He made it clear that he would not compromise on his “principles” even if it meant sacrificing any posts.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi reached out to Sidhu describing him as the “head of the family” while inviting him for talks to resolve the issue. In fact, after holding back-to-back meetings with senior party leaders and also officials all day, Channi left for Patiala late in the evening.
Channi, while addressing the media earlier in the day, asserted that he was ready to roll back any move if it sends out a wrong message.
Sidhu, who finally breaks his silence after generating political tremors on Tuesday with his sudden resignation that were felt in New Delhi, repeatedly made clear his intentions to all the leaders and party workers who met him that he was in no way going to backtrack on the issues raised by him and stand by his resignation.
Posting a four-minute video on Twitter on Wednesday morning to shed light on the reasons for his abrupt resignation, Sidhu raised questions over the recent key appointments in the Government, including that of the Director General of Police (DGP), the State’s Advocate-General, and even those facing corruption charges.
Raising the issues of Bargari sacrilege, Sidhu said that those people who had given clean chit to the Badals and those who had secured “blanket bails” to former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini have been appointed in the system as Advocate-General.
“Where are those issues now? I will keep raising them,” he said while attacking the Congress Government. “I will not compromise. I am not for posts. I can sacrifice anyone,” he said.
Clarifying that he had no “personal agenda” against anyone, Sidhu said that his 17 years long political career has been for a purpose, “to make difference, to take a stand and to make people’s lives better...I cannot compromise on my ethics, moral authority”.
Sidhu said, “When I see those issues are being compromised, I cannot take it when I had vowed to fight for justice for my Guru (Granth Sahib)...I will not mislead the high command nor can I let high command be misled. I will take it upon myself to fight for justice for my Guru. I will sacrifice any posts.”
Maintaining that he, along with others, worked on removing the tainted leaders and officers from the system, Sidhu said that now they are back, and he would not allow that to happen.
A day before, Sidhu sent the Congress party into a tizzy by announcing his resignation minutes after the Ministers were allotted the portfolios. It has been learnt that he was upset over the allotment of Home portfolio to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and insisting on keeping it with the Chief Minister only.
Besides, Sidhu was also upset with the appointment of senior advocate APS Deol as AG. He was backing another senior advocate DS Patwalia. Deol, till recently, was appearing as the counsel for Saini, the then State police chief during the incidents of sacrilege and police firing on protesters. What is more! He was also unhappy with giving an additional charge of State DGP to IPS Sahota as he was batting for S Chattopadhyay.
Sidhu was also opposed to the party’s decision to induct Rana Gurjit Singh in the State Cabinet as he had, in 2018, stepped down as Minister for facing allegations in the sand mining scandal. Moreover, Rana Gurjit has close ties with Sidhu’s bête noire Capt Singh.
Meanwhile, after talking to Sidhu, Channi maintained that he had informed the senior party leader that “we can talk out if he has any issues”. Describing the party president as “the head of the family”, Channi said: “The head should discuss the matters within the family. I have spoken to Sidhu sahib today and invited him for dialogue. I have told him that the party’s ideology is supreme and a Government follows that ideology. I have told him that if he has any issues, we can talk those out.”
Channi also maintained that this was not an “ego tussle” and he was willing to invite Sidhu to discuss his issues with the party. “Sidhu does not want to destroy the Government...I have already spoken to him on the phone since his resignation,” he added.
Talking on the controversy about the appointment of Saini’s counsel as the State’s AG, Channi said that the Government will set up a special team to fight all important cases, including that of sacrilege. “A team of a special prosecutor and 10 lawyers is being set up. This team will work under the special prosecutor. The team will handle all important cases of the State Government,” he said.
At the same time, he made it clear that all the decisions would be taken as per “the people’s liking”.
“If any move sends out a wrong message, I am ready to roll it back. But I will fight till my last breath on the issues that I have been raising all this while,” he said.
Even as the reports are that the Deol may be asked to step down, sources informed The Pioneer that the Chief Minister has assured the state’s top law office that he would stay. Speculations are rife that during the expected Channi-Sidhu meeting at the latter’s Patiala residence late at night, Sidhu may demand Deol’s removal.
