Sidhu announces ‘dharam yudh’ for Punjab’s ‘salvation’
After launching his YouTube channel for political resurrection, Punjab Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday announced a ‘dharam yudh’ against the system for state’s “salvation”.
In a video on his newly launched YouTube channel ‘Jittega Punjab’ (Punjab will win), Sidhu raised questions over the system in Punjab, obliquely taking a swipe at the state government. The cricketer-turned-politician said he worked hard for formation of three governments only to find a demon-like system telling him each time to collude for personal benefits or leave it.
“I did not join but fought while being in the system. I did not budge an inch and got sidelined. My fight still continues. I take a stand after thinking 100 times. When I take a stand, I never go back on it,” he said, ostensibly projecting himself as a combatant fighting for the truth. The video, his second on the channel launched four days ago, is being seen as a carefully-worded swipe at the state government.
Sidhu, who had quit the BJP to join the Congress just days before the 2017 assembly elections in Punjab, has been at loggerheads with chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. He was a minister in the state cabinet but resigned in July last year after Amarinder stripped him off a key portfolio. After remaining incommunicado for months, he has taken to the video-sharing platform to “air and share his views” with the people of Punjab.
Announcing the dharam yudh, Sidhu said the biggest ‘dharam’ was “nationalism” which meant fighting for the soil. “The ‘dharam yudh’ will take us towards the state’s salvation. There are only two ways to achieve this. The first one puts burden of lakhs of crores of rupees on Punjab, and takes it towards devastation. The second leads it towards contentment and gives wings to the Punjabis to fulfil their dreams,” he said in his trademark style.
Sidhu said the fight was to be waged in the minds of people as they did to get rid of militancy, asking people to join hands. In 1982, the Akalis had also started a ‘dharam yudh morcha’ for autonomy for the state. The Amritsar East MLA’s statement comes two days after Amarinder Singh said he (Sidhu) was a part of the (Congress) team and there were no issues between them.
