The newly-appointed Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday virtually counted the deeds not done by his own party’s Government during the past four-and-a-half years by listing out the actions required to be undertaken.
In his first meeting with the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh soon after taking over as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief, Sidhu, along with the party’s four newly-appointed working presidents, reminded the State Government of the promises made ahead the 2017 state assembly elections, while pointing out that the “State needs stern, decisive, inclusive, and compassionate leadership more than before”.
Outlining the “five priority areas”, Sidhu insisted that the State Government must immediately act upon them. The “priority areas” include punishment to main culprits of sacrilege and related police firing incidents; arrest and exemplary punishment for “big-fish” in drug trafficking; assurance that Centre’s farm laws will not be implemented in Punjab; cancelling faulty Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs); and addressing the issue of protesting state government employees.
In response, the Chief Minister informed the PPCC’s new team that all the key issues of concern, raised by them, were already in “advanced stages of resolution” by the State Government.
Raising the significant issues, which were also the party of the 18-point agenda given by the Congress high command, the new PPCC team, in the process, practically spelt out the grounds on which the Congress party would contest the forthcoming elections, scheduled to be held in early 2022.
At the same time, Sidhu has also sent out a clear signal that his earlier stance against his own party’s Government has not softened a bit even after taking over the party reins ahead crucial elections. Notably, Sidhu has been at loggerheads with Capt Amarinder over his failure to fulfil the pre-poll promises, especially action against the Badals in sacrilege and drugs cases.
Sidhu’s elevation came despite the strong protest by the Chief Minister. Even as the party high command snubbed Capt Amarinder’s “words of warning”, it went ahead appointing Sidhu as PPCC chief along with four working presidents — Kuljit Singh Nagra, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pawan Goel, and Sukhwinder Singh Danny.
Even as Capt Amarinder declared that he would not meet the new PPCC president till he apologises in public for 150-odd derogatory tweets against him, their meeting was arranged ahead Sidhu’s installation ceremony with the former cricketer showing no signs of remorse, and instead cold shouldering the Chief Minister during the event. Sidhu minced no words to place his own party’s government in dock during his maiden speech as PPCC chief.
Sidhu, on Monday, held marathon meetings with four working presidents and party’s various frontal organisations. On Tuesday, Sidhu sought time to meet the Chief Minister, and Capt Amarinder did not invite him to his residence, but to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) at Punjab Civil Secretariat.
During the one-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, also attended by Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and senior Minister Brahm Mohindra, Sidhu and his team is said to have also discussed the proposed Cabinet reshuffle.
Even as the meeting between the Chief Minister and Sidhu is being seen as a peace-making move by the cricketer-turned-politician, the letter hints at the contrary.
With the resentment between the two still simmering, road to power does not seem to be smooth for the ruling Congress. It would be interesting to see whether Sidhu, to implement the 18-point agenda laid down by the Congress high command, would seek the Chief Minister’s cooperation or continue his criticism of the Government to pressurise Capt Amarinder to act.
It has been learnt that the Delhi Durbar had assured Capt Amarinder that Sidhu had been told not to embarrass the Chief Minister any further and work harmoniously with the State Government. Besides, the Chief Minister has also been assured that he would lead the party in 2022 elections.
SIDHU’S LETTER
In the letter to the Chief Minister outlining five priority areas, PPCC’s new team emphasised that Punjab “needs a stern, decisive, inclusive and compassionate leadership more than ever before to fulfil genuine demands of every Punjabi”. The letter pointed that after multiple deliberations and consultations with party workers across Punjab to understand the public sentiment, “we write to you these five priority areas that Government must act upon immediately from amongst the 18-Points”
Among the issues raised by Sidhu and his team, the foremost is “justice for Punjab’s soul by punishing the main culprits behind sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and police firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan”. Besides, the letter demanded immediate arrest of the “big fish” behind drug trafficking in Punjab as mentioned in the Special Task Force report and cancellation of the “faulty power purchase agreements” which were signed by the previous Akali-BJP government with private thermal power companies.
Asserting that agriculture is the backbone of Punjab, PPCC team also told the Chief Minister that “as we all protest against Centre’s three black laws (the controversial farm laws), Punjab Government must not merely recommend amendments to a few clauses in the three black laws but reject them completely by announcing that they will not be implemented in Punjab at any cost”.
Further, the Punjab Congress chief has also said that “more than 20 Unions (of teachers, doctors, nurses, safai karmcharis, etc) are protesting across the state” and that the state needs a “compassionate leadership that is ready to listen and take steps for inclusive development”. Requesting the Chief Minister to “act immediately”, the letter concluded, “Nothing great was ever achieved without an act of decision.”
CAPT’S REPLY
Responding, the Chief Minister told the newly-constituted state Congress leadership that all the key issues of concern raised by them were already in advanced stages of resolution by the State Government, which had been working on them in close coordination with the party, while asking them to “work together in the interest of the state and its people”.
Noting that the State Government had already implemented most of the promises made to the people in the 2017 party election manifesto, the Chief Minister told the party’s state leadership that the other pending issues were also being resolved. “My Government is committed to the implementation of all the poll promises,” said Capt Amarinder, describing the meeting as “cordial”.
Stressing the need to work closely together in the interest of the party, the Chief Minister told the Punjab Congress president and working presidents that “your win is my win and our win is the party’s win, and we need to work together in the interest of the state and its people”.