Simmering discontentment within the Congress party in Punjab appears to have reached the boiling point. Another Cabinet Minister on Thursday opened front against the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, even as the Chief Minister blamed his adversary Navjot Singh Sidhu for attacking his leadership and the party. Capt Amarinder also made it clear that party doors for Sidhu would remain shut from his side, and it would be upon the party high command to take the final call on the “undisciplined” party leader.
That was not all! Two Cabinet Ministers, coming out in support of their Chief Minister, lashed out at the former cricketer for creating indiscipline in the party while asking him to float his own party if he wanted to be the “boss”.
Notably, the state Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was not the only one who was conspicuous by his absence in the Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. His Cabinet colleague and Tourism Minister Charanajit Singh Channi also skipped the meeting, as he was also reportedly upset with the Chief Minister.
Sources informed The Pioneer that during the Monday’s cabinet meeting, Randhawa and Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar handed over their written resignations to the Chief Minister after heated exchange during the discussion on the High Court’s judgment on Kotkapura firing incident. But, another Cabinet Minister Charanjit Singh Channi also raised his voice during the meeting and categorically asked the Chief Minister to expel them from the Cabinet if they could not be trusted.
It has been learnt that Channi, who was also agitated over the discussion, asked the Chief Minister to remove them and induct his favourites whom he can trust. Owing to the same resentment, Channi skipped the Wednesday cabinet meeting.
Chief Minister, at present, is facing attacks not only from his rivals but also from within the party. The cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu has all along been attacking his own party’s government, especially the Chief Minister, over non-fulfillment of pre poll promises.
Already, Capt Amarinder’s known detractors — Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo (both Rajya Sabha MPs) — were not leaving any chance to attack his and his government over his “poor” performance. Joining the tirade against the Chief Minister, Congress MLA and Olympian Pargat Singh lashed out at Capt Amarinder saying that he had become weak as the Chief Minister and was not the same leader as 2002.
DOORS CLOSED FOR SIDHU, HIGH COMMAND TO TAKE CALL: CAPT
Drawing a line, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has made it clear that his doors for his bête noire and party colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu are closed. Dubbing Sidhu as an “opportunist”, Capt Amarinder minced no words to say that Sidhu wanted to leave the Congress and that was why he was attacking the party’s government, and his Chief Minister. In fact, Capt Amarinder claimed that the former Minister had also met Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal several times, and can switch sides any moment. Chief Minister, in an interview to a Punjabi channel on Wednesday, said that it would be on the party high command now to take the final call on Sidhu while expressing confidence that “the high command would listen to me”. This is the second time Capt Amarinder has attacked Sidhu in the past two days.
Lashing out at Sidhu for criticizing him “unnecessarily” for the government losing the desecration case of the Guru Granth Sahib, Capt Amarinder said: “Time and again, I have tried to explain that the cases related to the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib remain as it is.”
Capt Amaridner accused Sidhu of indiscipline saying that he was constantly attacking “his Chief Minister” and it was “clear that he wanted to leave the party”.
“Sidhu is an opportunist. He is attacking me and indirectly attacking my leadership…What does he think of himself?” Capt Amarinder said.
Claiming that Sidhu was in talks with AAP, Capt Amarinder said: “According to our information, he has met Kejriwal three to four times and is expected to join his party. It is clear that he will be contesting from Patiala against me. He has been preparing for that since many days…He is most welcome to do so. Let him fight,” he said.
Notably, Capt Amarinder had dared Sidhu to contest election from Patiala — the Chief Minister’s pocket-borough, and claimed that the legislator would forfeit his security deposit like General JJ Singh, who contested against him as Akali candidate during the previous Assembly elections.
MINISTERS ATTACK SIDHU
Punjab’s two Cabinet Ministers — Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sunder Sham Arora — on Thursday joined the ongoing turf war between the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Dharamsot, the state’s Forest Minister, asked Sidhu to launch his own party if he wanted to be the “boss”; while Arora, Industries and Commerce Minister, said that Sidhu’s repeated statements against the party leadership showed indiscipline and irresponsible behaviour.
Arora reminded Sidhu that Congress party had registered a massive victory under Capt Amarinder’s leadership, who was elected as Chief Minister of Punjab by the party high command, and the Congress became more strong in Punjab under his visionary and able leadership.
