Sidhu's demands met, will remain leader of Punjab Congress
Sidhu agreed to talk to Channi a day after the CM reached out to him and offered to resolve issues through talks
Navjot Singh Sidhu will remain leader of the Punjab Congress after all. He met Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday (September 30), with sources later suggesting a possible end to the Congress’s headaches in the state, ahead of the assembly election next year.
“Sidhu Sahab maan gaye hain [Sidhu has relented],” a source said after the two leaders emerged from the three-hour meeting.
Sidhu had been angry about key appointments, including those of ministers, the police chief and the attorney general, made by the new CM. Sources said Channi has accepted at least one of his key demands. Details of the agreement will be revealed in Delhi.
Also read: Sidhu agrees to ‘meet and discuss’ after Channi extends olive branch
Signs of a thaw were apparent when Sidhu drove down from Patiala to Chandigarh in the afternoon. “Chief minister has invited me for talks… will reciprocate by reaching Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh at 3:00 PM today, he is welcome for any discussions!” he tweeted.
Sidhu was named Punjab Congress chief in July as part of a truce brokered by the party. He quit on Tuesday saying he could “never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab”.
Sidhu’s resignation came as a surprise to the Congress high command; Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had supported him against former chief minister Amarinder Singh.
One of Sidhu’s main complaints was the appointment of the state’s new DGP by the Channi government. He said the DGP had wrongly indicted two Sikh youths in a desecration case and gave a clean chit to the Badals.
The desecration of a religious text allegedly took place in Faridkot district in 2015. The then Parkash Singh Badal-led government handed over the investigation to an SIT led by DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota. Sahota was given the additional charge of the state’s DGP by Channi, after which Sidhu quit as the state Congress chief.
Meanwhile, a day after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Amarinder on Thursday clarified that he would not join the BJP, but would not stay in the Congress either. The party, he said, was going downhill with senior leaders completely ignored.
The former CM is now back in Punjab after a two-day stay in New Delhi.