Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday accused state Congress minister Navjot Singh Sidhu of eyeing his post, reported ANI. This comes after Sidhu alleged a nexus between senior Congress leaders and the Badals of the Shiromani Akali Dal, and accused the chief minister of denying ticket to his wife.
“If Sidhu wanted to challenge me and my job, then he should take it up with the high command,” Singh said after casting his vote. “It is for the high command to decide on any action against Sidhu, but the Congress, as a party, does not tolerate indiscipline. I do not have any differences with Sidhu, whom I have known since he was a child. Perhaps he is ambitious and wants to be chief minister.”
On Friday, Sidhu hit out at Singh while campaigning for party candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in Bathinda. Without naming Singh, Sidhu had said, “Some people say they will quit if Congress is wiped out, I say I will quit if action is not taken in the sacrilege case.” On Thursday, the chief minister had said that he will “accept responsibility and resign” if the Congress loses in Punjab.
Sidhu said the entire community is still hurt by sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. “Public is the real court to deliver the justice in this case and it is the Special Investigation Team as well,” he told reporters after casting his vote. “So, I appeal to public to bring the culprits to justice as the time has reached for same.” On Sunday evening, he tweeted a video in which he asked the people to punish those who betrayed the Congress.
Earlier, Sidhu had backed his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s allegation that Chief Minister Singh was responsible for her not getting a ticket for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat. “She would never lie,” Sidhu had said. “My wife has that much strength and moral authority that she will never lie.”
Chief Minister Singh said Sidhu should have chosen a better time to air his grievances. “He is harming the party with such irresponsible actions,” Singh added.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra said “Sidhu’s outburst amounted to sabotage”. He added that all Cabinet ministers will write to the Congress high command to take action in the matter.
Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said Sidhu will be responsible if Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal won from Bathinda. “I always stood by Sidhu when nobody was ready to take a stand for him,” Randhawa told The Indian Express. “But I am not in agreement with the statement he has given in Bathinda.”
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