Punjab: Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has raised questions over the selection of the advocate general, director general of police and certain “tainted leaders”, reciprocated to chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s offer on Thursday, agreeing to meet him to resolve their differences over the appointments through talks.
Sidhu, who had sent his resignation as state unit chief to Congress president Sonia Gandhi two days ago, said that he will reach Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh for any discussions. “The chief minister has invited me for talks…will reciprocate by reaching Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh, at 3pm today, he is welcome for any discussions,” he tweeted a day after putting out a video to raise questions over key appointments by the chief minister.
Battling his first major political crisis created by Sidhu’s resignation just 10 days after he took over as the chief minister, Channi struck a conciliatory note on Wednesday and offered to sit down and iron out differences. “Whoever is party president is head of the family. I had told him (Sidhu) that the party is supreme, and the government follows its ideology. I spoke to him over phone and told him to come, sit and talk to resolve issues,” Channi said on grievances voiced by Sidhu in his four-and-a-half-minute video message.
The cricketer-turned-politician’s abrupt resignation on Tuesday, barely 72 days after he was appointed the state unit chief, has pushed the Congress into a fresh crisis in poll-bound Punjab before it could recover from months of turmoil due to a bitter tussle between Sidhu and his bête noire, former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Sidhu is peeved at not having his way in the cabinet appointments and other key official picks as those recommended by him for the post of AG and DGP got overlooked. The induction of former minister Rana Gurjit Singh into the cabinet is also learnt to have upset him.
Sidhu’s stand has not gone down well with his predecessor Sunil Jakhar. Taking to social media, Jakhar tweeted: “Enough is enough. Put an end to attempts to undermine the authority of the CM time and again. Aspersions being cast on selection of AG and DGP is actually questioning the integrity/competence of the CM and home minister to deliver results. It’s time to put the foot down and clear the air.”
(Sources: Hindustan Times)
