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Full Story, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Is Punjab heading for President Rule before elections

News
Ashwin Roy

New Delhi: Will Navjot Singh Sidhu withdraw his resignation or will the party high command show him the way out?  This is the latest question people has, however, most are having the thoughts that this could be the last few days of Sidhu in Congress politics as the Congress won't let go a Dalit Chief Minister made by chance in Punjab.

The second question that comes to people was, are the 'G-23' leaders like Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad directly challenging the 'Gandhi family'?

Amidst the internal tussle of the Congress party, these are the questions whose echo continued to be heard on Wednesday and the reason for this was the ever-changing developments.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had taken the lead in the farmers' movement, met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi in the evening. However, he had told on Tuesday that he has not come to Delhi to meet anyone. Punjab was the main state where the farmer’s agitation against the bills started and now as the Ex Punjab Chief Minister thinks of how to solve the issue, it will be easier for him to do so. For BJP it will be easy to make the movement in its favour especially as the election are coming near in the states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

After meeting Amit Shah, Captain Amarinder Singh told that he met the Home Minister regarding the farmers' agitation and 'demanded to repeal the agriculture laws'.

However, as the speculation about the meeting was in full swing and the Congress launched a scathing attack on the Home Minister, describing him as an "anti-Dalit".  It is a catch situation for the Congress and the Gandhi family. Punjab seems to be going now out of hand if Captain shakes his hand with the BJP and resolves the farmer’s crisis. A win-win situation for the BJP.

Speculation was also being made about Navjot Singh Sidhu, who suddenly resigned from the post of Punjab Congress President on Tuesday. Sidhu released a video statement on Wednesday. The heat was also felt by the statements of senior leaders Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

This period of trouble in Congress has been going on for a long time. The recent episode began with the handing over of Congress reins in Punjab to Navjot Singh Sidhu in July.

He was made the President of Punjab Congress which Captain Amarinder Singh considered as an insult as Sidhu has been openly criticizing him.

Captain Amarinder Singh resigned and also said that he would try his best to prevent Navjot Singh Sidhu from winning the assembly elections.

In the opinion of the experts, this was the turning point where the decision of the party high command showed the tilt in favour of Sidhu and it seemed that the situation in the Punjab Congress would get better after making a Dalit Chief Minister. But just now that new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi took over, what seemed like a celebration of Sidhu's success in ousting the Captain, he once again got angry and resigned from the post of Congress chief of Punjab via Twitter.

 Punjab cabinet minister Razia Sultana also resigned in support of Sidhu.

Sidhu's resignation has not been accepted, but after his resignation, this new earthquake in the Punjab Congress got bigger and the eyes of the whole country were on Wednesday on the uproar in Delhi about it. The Congress which has dwindling support across the country has fewer chances that it can come out clean. There are chances of president rule in Punjab even.

Sidhu's video came, what did he say?

Sidhu's sudden resignation was being speculated that after the formation of the Channi government, he has given his resignation after not paying attention to the appointments there that on Wednesday he posted a video on Twitter.

In this, Sidhu raised questions on the appointments of the Director-General of Police and the Advocate General of the state and said, "We had broken the system of tainted officers and leaders. By bringing them back, that system cannot be created once again, I oppose it." "

Navjot Singh Sidhu said that "I will continue to fight the fight for the truth till the end."

What else Sidhu said, "Dear Punjabis, 17 years of political journey has been decided with a purpose. To improve the lives of the people of Punjab and to stand a stand on the politics of the issue. That has been my religion and duty and till date I have not had any personal quarrel with anyone.

"My fight is for the issues and the agenda of Punjab. I have always fought for the right and have never compromised on it. This is what my father has taught, whenever there is a conflict, stick to the truth and have morality. There's no compromise with that."

Sidhu said that he is seeing that the issues are being settled.

"I see that those who gave a clean chit to Badals six-six years ago have been given responsibility. I can neither mislead the High Command nor allow them to be misled. For the justice of the Guru, the people of Punjab I would sacrifice anything to make life better."

CM Channi said - "Come, sit and talk"

Regarding Sidhu's resignation, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi said that let's sit and talk.

Charanjit Singh Channi told reporters, "He who is the head is the head of the party. The head should sit in the family and put forward his words firmly."

"I have spoken to Sidhu sahib on the telephone even today. The questions raised by Sidhu sahib will be resolved together."

He further said, "The party is always supreme, the government obeys the words of the party. You come, sit down and talk, the way you are finding any mistakes, you could have raised them earlier, you can raise them now too. "

Captain's meeting with Amit Shah

After this video of Sidhu on Wednesday, it was also reported that Captain Amarinder Singh will meet BJP President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

However, in his meeting with Amit Shah, the Captain discussed issues such as the long-running farmers' agitation, the repeal of three new agricultural laws and the guarantee of minimum support prices.

What will be the stand of the Captain after leaving the post of CM, it will be clear in the coming days. But in the meantime, rhetoric started within the Congress on the whole episode.

Intensified factionalism, Tiwari-Sibal came to the fore

Some senior leaders made open statements. First of all, senior leader Manish Tewari's statement came in favour of Amarinder Singh.

He said that Punjab should have been given in some safe hands at this time.

Manish Tewari said without naming Navjot Singh Sidhu, "The people who were given the responsibility of looking after the state did not even know about the whole situation."

Manish Tewari told the media, "Punjab is a border state and it should have been handed over to safe hands but this matter was handled badly which is unfortunate."

After this, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also spoke. He said about Punjab that whatever is happening there, Pakistan can take advantage of it.

"We know the history of Punjab and remember the days of militancy there. The Congress should try to stay united," he said.

At the same time, he also told that one of his senior colleagues is soon going to write a letter to the party president, in which he will ask to convene a meeting of the Central Working Committee immediately so that the current condition of the party can be discussed.

Sibal said that there is no president in his party, so he does not know who is taking decisions in Congress.

"We may or may not know," he said.

After this, news agency ANI, quoting Congress insiders, reported that senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has written a letter to Congress interim president Sonia, demanding an emergency meeting of the Congress Working Committee.

"Don't dilute the identity given by the party"

After questioning the party leadership, without naming the senior leaders, Youth Congress National President Srinivas Biwi tweeted, which is indicating to a large extent the growing factionalism within the party. He wrote, "Listen 'Ji-Huzoor':- The 'President' and 'Leadership' of the party is the one who always took you to the Parliament, made you a 'Minister' during the good times of the party, was in the opposition, then took you to the Rajya Sabha, Always rewarded with responsibilities in good and bad times.. and when 'time' comes for struggle, then..."

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken also said, "Without any organizational background, Sonia Gandhi made Kapil Sibal a minister. Everyone at the party has been listened to. I want to tell Kapil Sibal and other leaders that the identity that the party has given him." Granted, they should not weaken him."

Assembly elections are due in Punjab next year. By making Charanjit Singh Channi the Chief Minister, the Congress was preparing to enter the politics there with the jugalbandi of Dalit Sikh and Jat Sikh, but now this new turmoil has started.

The entire nation's eyes are on what this crisis going on within the party will take next, as it will determine its future in the strong fort of Congress (Punjab) along with Captain, Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi.

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About The Author

Ashwin Roy is an Indian fact-checker and news writer, writing news for Ayupp since 2014.

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