Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislators from Majha region on Monday appealed to Amritsar East MlA and BJP Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu to introspect her actions before pointing fingers at senior leader and Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
Terming BJP leader’s recent outburst against Majithia as a case of pot calling the kettle black, Akali legislators — Harmeet Sandhu, Virsa Singh Valtoha, Manjit Singh Manna and Baljit Singh Jalalusma — said that the fact of the matter was that it was Dr Sidhu who had disowned coalition dharma by airing her grudges in the media instead of party forums.
The leaders said they were surprised and shocked at the phenomenal lead of 32,000 plus votes taken by Congress candidate Capt Amarinder Singh from Amritsar East—the seat held by Dr Sidhu.
“BJP leader should explain to the people of Amritsar whether the huge defeat suffered by Arun Jaitley from her constituency was a barometer of her popularity graph among the people or a result of some mischief to ensure Jaitley's defeat as well as embarrass SAD-BJP coalition… This needs to be analysed as Jaitley is the political guru of her husband Navjot Sidhu,” they said.
Asserting that the chief parliamentary secretary was letting her personal pique at her husband Navjot Sidhu being denied the party nomination get the better of her, SAD legislators urged Dr Sidhu to consider that it was party which had made her what she was and that she should not commit any act which could be construed as a betrayal of the party.
The leaders also urged Dr Sidhu not to make excuses and try to pin defeat on Akali councillors saying that “the SAD-BJP combine as well as party candidate Arun Jaitley gave you a free hand in the constituency to ensure you could deliver. If you have failed to do so, it is completely your fault and it does not behove you as a chief parliamentary secretary to pass on the buck to junior party workers”.
Defending Majithia, Akali MlAs said that he not only maintained his base and delivered in his assembly segment vis-à-vis the previous two lok Sabha polls which incidentally were contested by Navjot Sidhu on the BJP ticket, but even increased the victory margin from Majitha this time to around 21,000 votes vis-à-vis a lead of 16,000 and 20,000 given by him in the 2007 and 2009 parliamentary elections.