Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has once again attacked his one-time cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu, saying he is in talks with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and that he can switch sides any moment.
In an interview to a Punjabi channel Wednesday, the chief minister alleged Sidhu has met Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal multiple times.
“According to our information, he has met Kejriwal 3-4 times and is expected to join his party. It is clear that he will be contesting from Patiala against me. He is most welcome to do so. Let him fight,” said the CM, talking about the assembly elections due early next year.
“Sidhu is an opportunist. He is attacking me and indirectly attacking my leadership… what does he think of himself?” Amarinder said.
This is the second time Amarinder has lashed out at Sidhu in the past two days. In an interview to a Punjab TV channel Tuesday, Singh had accused Sidhu of indiscipline, saying that he was constantly attacking “his chief minister” and it was “clear that he wanted to leave the party”.
He also blamed Sidhu for criticising him unnecessarily for the government losing the desecration case of the Guru Granth Sahib.
“Time and again, I have tried to explain that the cases related to the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib remain as it is. The judgment has only come in a case related to police firing in which, let me assure you, that the then chief minister Prakash Singh Badal will be taken to task… his name will be in the FIR and the charge sheet,” Amarinder said in the fresh interview.
Also read: Sidhu now takes direct jibe at CM on desecration probe quashing, says AG made ‘scapegoat’
Sidhu’s attack
Sidhu, an MLA from Amritsar, attacked the chief minister over the case first through a video message on 13 April followed by a press conference in Patiala. Since then, he has also been tweeting his displeasure at the manner in which the investigation was conducted into the case.
On 9 April, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed investigation into the police firing at Sikh protesters in Kotkapura in 2015 during protest over the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
The high court also absolved the then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and then deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal of their involvement in the case.
The Congress, which was hoping to benefit politically from the investigation, has been in the throes of a virtual rebellion against Amarinder ever since.
‘Amarinder trying to distract public’
While Sidhu retorted to Tuesday’s attack by the chief minister through a series of tweets, the fresh attack has drawn no response from the former cricketer so far.
However, Sidhu’s old friend and another sportsperson-turned-politician Pargat Singh, the Congress MLA from Jalandhar, defended Sidhu.
He said Sidhu and others attacking Amarinder over the desecration case was justified and a part of the internal democracy of the party.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday following a meeting with Amarinder, Singh said the party was accountable to the people of Punjab, especially after all the tall promises made by the government of bringing justice to all the cases related to the desecration.
Singh said it seemed Amarinder was trying to divert public attention to his wrangling with Sidhu rather than come clear regarding the court case.
Apart from Sidhu, Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa, cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and state party president Sunil Jakhar have also taken on the chief minister over the issue in the past few days.
(Edited by Debalina Dey)
Also read: Punjab Congress leaders attack CM Amarinder’s top lawyer over ‘weak defence’ in desecration case
Sidhu is a certified traitor. He has only one friend – Imran Khan. He would do well to join PTI and apply for Pakistani citizenship.
It’s clear AMRINDERJI is really facing aCUSE aBUSE pARTY who tried to establish khalistanis in politics for financial gain , but AMRINDERJI defeated them with the help of HINDUS and SIKHS equally.
AMRINDERJI’s independence in rejecting FAMILY’s agenda to create trouble for HINDUS with the help of GEN Bajaw and the adviser to the PRINCE Mr Mani’s whose clear cry for help to pakistani establishment when he visited pakistan is being sought to be implemented by a joker who can be anybody’s anchor.
NOW the aCUSE aBUSE pARTY might want to use the JOKER as he is available, but the fear aCUSE aBUSE pARTY evokes amongst HINDUS as was evident by their role in support of anti caa agitation which was detrimental to both HINDUS n SIKHS being targeted in pakistan will ensure that they will never successful in PUNJAB.
Sidhu is not an opportunist. He is a traitor. He would be better off in Pakistan.
Capt. Amarinder Singh could not have been more wrong.
Mr. Sidhu is in talks with Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) and may join the party formally later on. As it is, he is besotted with Imran Khan and the love/respect is reciprocated.
they are busy fighting with each other for votes in next election as they know they get majority due to their support to farm protest than fighting covid. of course, lutyen media does not post of pictures from the state and does not even ask, if this is the right time for politics. dynasty that reminds everyone of Raj Dharma is also silent