Ending his year-long political exile following differences with Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu will soon be seen batting for the farmers in their agitation against the Centre’s new agriculture-related legislations.
Sidhu, who broke his silence three days back over the Centre’s “controversial” Bills by sharing his view on Twitter, is learnt to have made up his mind to return in the field to back the farmers.
Sources close to Sidhu have told The Pioneer that the former Minister, who is among the Congress party’s best orators, would join the farmers’ protest dharnas to take on the BJP led Central Government, especially when the Congress party has been raising the issue head-on.
The Congress, not only in Punjab but also at the national level, is waging a war against the Government over the farm bills. Right from the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, to the state party president Sunil Jakhar, Cabinet Ministers, party MPs and even the party’s youth wing, are holding protests, lending support to the farmers. “With Sidhu joining their protest, it would boost the campaign,” said a Congress leader.
The development assumes significance as the party high-command has recently appointed Uttarakhand’s former Chief Minister Harish Rawat as Punjab Congress affairs general secretary in-charge. He has indicated at bridging the differences between the party’s top brass.
Sidhu’s attempts to return to the field also assume significance as it came at a time when the party high command is mulling to re-induct him in the State Cabinet.
It is to be seen that what role the party high command would give to Sidhu, whose return in the state’s active politics has been demanded by several state party leaders.
Notably, Sidhu has been staying away from public gaze and media ever since he resigned from the state Cabinet in September 2019, protesting over the change in his portfolio post party’s “not so good” performance in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Earlier, there were reports that the Congress MLA from Amritsar East is warming up with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Sidhu, on Friday, had made his presence felt in his distinct style to support the protesting farmers in their agitation against the Centre’s three agriculture-related bills while declaring that “Punjab, Punjabiyat and every Punjabi” are with the peasants, “farming is the soul of Punjab and attack on the soul would not be tolerated”.
Slamming the BJP-led Central Government for bringing the farm bills, Sidhu took to Twitter, more than a year after he last tweeted on September 25, 2019, to declare that he vacated his official bungalow as the Cabinet Minister after resigning from the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Cabinet.
“Farming is the soul of Punjab, the wounds of the body can heal but an attack on our soul, our existence will not be tolerated. The war trumpet says Inqilab Zindabad, Punjab, Punjabiyat and each Punjabi are with the farmers,” he had tweeted in a series of tweets.
Maintaining that the farmers “are the pride and identity of every Punjabi”, Sidhu had asked the farmers to prepare for a struggle against the Government which has “snatched their rights”.