After batting for Team SAD-BJP in Punjab for more than a decade, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu’s decision to play the political game against the Akalis in Haryana’s electoral turf has apparently cost him his security.
less than a week after he hurled googly after googly at the Akalis in Haryana, the Punjab Government has withdrawn his ‘Y’ security on Tuesday — a move described as “petty” politics by the leader.
Even as the move has drawn ire of the saffron party terming it as “unfortunate”, the authorities described the development as a step taken under routine exercise.
At the same time, Sidhu’s MlA wife Dr Navjot Kaur has maintained that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy son Sukhbir Badal would be held responsible in case of any harm to her husband. The withdrawal of security of the BJP’s former MP from Amritsar came after Sidhu fired one salvo after another on the party’s ally in Punjab, SAD, while campaigning in Haryana Assembly polls.
Akali Dal, BJP’s alliance partner in Punjab and also a main component of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP, has joined hands with its traditional ally in Haryana, the Indian National lok Dal (INlD) with entire SAD leadership campaigning against the BJP candidates in the State.
‘Motor-mouth’ Sidhu, while campaigning for the BJP at Dabwali in Sirsa district, had dubbed the SAD as “backstabber” having no ethical values.
The BJP high command has especially engaged Sidhu as its star campaigner in Haryana along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, among others. It has been learnt that Sidhu was provided special chopper to campaign in Haryana, particularly on the two seats from where SAD has fielded its candidates — Ambala city and Kolianwali in Sirsa — in alliance with the INlD for October 15 polls.
Sidhu, taking a dig at SAD for tying up with INlD in Haryana, had stated, “Our allies hug us in Punjab, but in Haryana, they are wrestling with us (up against BJP), which is unethical.”
Sidhu had also gone vocal against the Akali Dal leadership in Punjab during his term as Amritsar MP before 2014 general elections. He had raised a banner of revolt against its own Government in the State, targeting particularly Badals, over the diversion of funds meant for Amritsar, and scuttling his development projects.