Navjot Singh Sidhu takes Gandhis by surprise, resigns as Punjab Congress chief
- In Politics
- 05:58 PM, Sep 28, 2021
- Myind Staff
In what comes as a sudden development, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from his post on Tuesday, minutes after the allotment of portfolios in new Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s Cabinet.
In his resignation letter to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu wrote, “The collapse of man’s character stems from the compromise corner. I can never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress.”
According to a report by the Indian Express, sources said Sidhu had been opposing tooth and nail the allotment of the home department to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, arguing that the portfolio is traditionally with the CM. Earlier, he had put his foot down when the party considered Randhawa for the CM post.
The report further added that when Randhawa’s name was proposed for the top job, Sidhu had left the hotel where he was meeting Harish Rawat, Congress general secretary and head of the selection committee, in a huff. He was learnt to have left for Delhi to hand over his resignation as PPCC chief.
In what seemed to be the pinnacle of the infighting between Navjot Singh Sidhu and former CM Captain Amarinder Singh, the latter was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi as chief minister of Punjab on September 20. CM Channi's cabinet was sworn in six days later on Sunday. The finalisation of the cabinet was preceded by marathon meetings with the party high command.
Even after these long meetings, not everyone in the party was happy with the final list of cabinet ministers. Six Congress MLAs from Doaba and one former Punjab Congress Committee President demanded that Navjot Singh Sidhu remove Rana Gurjeet Singh from the proposed cabinet list due to his involvement in the 'mining scandal' and instead 'include a clean Dalit face in view of upcoming polls."
Furthermore, a source quoted by Indian Express said, “You find out who was backing APS Deol and you will know. What was the point of the whole exercise to change the government when you are getting former DGP Sumedh Saini’s lawyer as AG? This is unacceptable to Sidhu.”
The source said Sidhu had “made it very clear to the high command that he would not tolerate corruption”.
“Sidhu is disappointed with the choice of Rana Gurjeet Singh as minister. The party has been on the defensive since day one over his appointment. His appointment made Amarinder look better — that he had dropped him from the Cabinet after the sand mining imbroglio and now he is back when the new government was expected to be above board. Look at the appointments in six days. What is the message that we are sending? It is like the old group is back,” the source added.
Reacting to Sidhu's sudden resignation, former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh tweeted: “I told you so…he is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab,” in an apparent dig at the party leadership.
Image courtesy: PTI/Twitter
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