- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE high command of the Indian National Congress is upset with Navjot Singh Sidhu, who quit as the president of the party’s chapter in the northern Indian state of Punjab on Tuesday (28).
According to sources, the resignation of Sidhu, a cricketer-turned-politician, has not been accepted and the top leadership is yet to speak to him. The party wants to give Sidhu more time but if he sticks to his decision of stepping down, then strict action can be taken, Asian News International news agency cited the sources as saying.
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Sidhu’s resignation intensified the crisis in the ruling Congress in Punjab, which will go to elections early next year. It was just a week ago that Captain Amarinder Singh, who shares a sour relation with Sidhu, stepped down from the post of the chief minister and was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi.
In his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu said, “The collapse of a man’s character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress.”
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Sidhu is reportedly angry over the bureaucratic set-up and that his commands were not being followed following the expansion of the state cabinet.
Sidhu, who joined the Congress in 2017 after quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party, was made the president of Punjab Congress in July following months of turmoil. His appointment came despite Captain having reservations against it. The former chief minister slammed Sidhu after he quit as the state party chief, saying he is not stable.
His resignation on Tuesday saw a series of resignations – from a cabinet minister and three party leaders who are considered close to him.
Manish Tiwari, a parliamentarian from Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib constituency, expressed concerns over the state’s continuing political crisis. In a remark following Sidhu’s resignation, the veteran leader said he is “extremely distressed” and said the only people who are happy with what is going on in the border state is the “deep state of Pakistan”.
“As a Punjab MP, I am extremely distressed about happenings in Punjab. Peace in Punjab was extremely hard-won. 25,000 people, bulk of them Congressmen, sacrificed themselves to bring peace back to Punjab after fighting extremism and terrorism between 1980-1995,” Tewari told ANI.
He said a trusted pair of hands is required to manage the state, especially in the middle of the farmers’ protest against the Narendra Modi government’s controversial agricultural laws.
