He came! He saw! He left! The much-hyped “comeback” tour of ‘comedy king’ Navjot Singh Sidhu ended on a disastrous note as the three-time Amritsar MP left his constituency sulking, without much support.
Coming back to his constituency after a long gap of over eight months on Wednesday, the “grumping” cricketer-turned-politician left his constituency on the very next day, along with his MlA wife, Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, for New Delhi.
Before leaving, Sidhu fired a salvo on his own Government in Punjab led by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, and the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for “willfully” scuttling the developmental projects he planned for the holy city.
Mincing no words, he went all out to blame Badal for “diverting funds” to other cities that were actually meant for Amritsar, leading to incompletion of many projects in the city. At the same time, Sidhu maintained that five-time Chief Minister Badal was like a father figure to him.
Sidhu, alleging complete “discriminatory behavior within his own party”, even went on to say that he felt as if he was the Member of Parliament of the Opposition party.
“Being in ruling party in Punjab, I feel that I am sitting in the Opposition…I feel I am MP in the Opposition since my all developmental projects for the holy city of Amritsar are badly and willfully scuttled by the people who are in the power corridor of Punjab,” said Sidhu, while talking to the media person in Amritsar.
Peeved over the apathetic attitude of the State Government, Sidhu maintained, “I have brought major developmental plans for the holy city including multiple flyovers, solid waste management, expansions and renovations of entire sewerage network for Amritsar, widening of narrow roads, renovations of all the railway over bridges, but unfortunately all were dashed to the ground and interest of the city inhabitants was badly ignored.”
He claimed that Amritsar Improvement Trust Authority was having several crores of funds and alleged that they were diverted willfully to other districts of Punjab. “I won’t let any more money to be diverted from Amritsar Improvement Trust funds even if I have to go to jail,” said Sidhu.
Sidhu maintained that Amritsar city needed 10-times more funds than earlier as it was left behind for several years due to “non developmental attitude of State Government”.
“I begged with folded hands numerous times before the State Government to complete developmental projects for the larger interest of city inhabitants,” he added.
lashing out at Punjab Government, Sidhu said that before the State assembly elections, all the projects initiated by him were in full swing, but all of them suddenly came to a standstill after the elections.
lately, Sidhu’s wife and sitting BJP MlA from Amritsar East, who is also Chief Parliamentary Secretary in the Punjab Government, had lashed out at the Badal-led Government for alleged lack of development in the State, including in her constituency.
ON HIS ABSENCE
Maintaining that his prolonged absence was for a reason, Sidhu cited his “commercial engagements” as one.
“I had my commercial commitments. I was in Mumbai all these months to earn money and that’s the reason I could not come here,” said Sidhu.
ON CONTESTING FROM AMRITSAR
Sidhu, in a calculated statement, maintained that neither he had ever, nor he would ask for the party ticket to contest the polls. “It is up to the High Command to take the call,” said Sidhu.
Refraining from commenting whether he would contest the ensuing lok Sabha elections from the same seat again, the daring MP indicated that neither he nor his family would leave the city in the coming future.
U-TURN IN A DAY
After claiming that he would be “full-time” available to the people of his constituency, and would not leave the city, the BJP leader left the city the very next day, along with his wife.
What made him leave the city is anybody’s guess.
BJP SHOWS ITS DESPONDENCY
Staying away from the Sidhu’s comeback event, the BJP state leadership has made it clear its stand against the parliamentarian.
The only answer to party’s “dull” response and disregard to Sidhu’s visit, who returned after a long gap, was, “agar babool ka ped lagaoge to aam nahi milenge” (One will get only thorns if he plants an Acacia tree, not the mangoes), a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity said. “There’s lot about Sidhu since past six months...we don’t want to comment on this issue further,” he added.
After repeated attempts, BJP state president Kamal Sharma could not be contacted as his mobile phone was switched off.
Sidhu’s outburst BJP’s internal matter: Badal
In a well-thought out move, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal “tactfully” kept himself out of the line of attack by the “disgruntled” BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Not reacting sharply to Sidhu’s outburst, Badal maintained that it was an internal matter of its all, the BJP, and was their sole prerogative to satisfy him.
“I didn’t perceive any personal problem with Sidhu and if at all the MP has any grouse, then the state BJP leadership should take care of that,” said Badal.