Congress to set up coordination committee to tackle Punjab crisis. Key points

People familiar with the matter have said that the panel is likely to be headed by a central leader and may comprise Channi, Sidhu and a third leader for better coordination between the party and the state government.

Punjab will soon have a coordination committee that will be consulted on all major policy matters and decisions of the government in the state, which has been witnessing turmoil in the ruling Congress party. The decision to form the coordination committee for the better functioning of the state government was taken after a meeting of chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was upset over the appointments made by the new government and resigned from his post two days ago, on Thursday.

The Congress party will make an announcement about the committee soon.  (Keshav SIngh/HT Photo)

According to an official, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is expected to make an announcement about the committee within 24 hours. People familiar with the matter have said that the panel is likely to be headed by a central leader and may comprise Channi, Sidhu and a third leader for better coordination between the party and the state government. “After the constitution of the new government, I thought my job was done but then this new situation developed. Things will be okay soon. It is just a matter for 5 to 7 days,” Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat told reporters on Thursday.

A senior leader said that Navjot Singh Sidhu will continue as Congress Punjab unit president. Sidhu, miffed with not having a say or being consulted in several key decisions, has also been demanding the removal of director general of police (DGP) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota and advocate general of Punjab APS Deol. “As for the two appointments, it has been decided that a panel of IPS officers will be sent to the UPSC as per the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court. Till then, Sahota will continue and the new DGP will be named from among the three names received from the commission. The issue of AG’s will be decided after a discussion in the coordination panel,” a person familiar with the development said.

Sidhu was also said to be angry with the induction of former minister Rana Gurjit Singh into the cabinet. “DGP IPS Sahota was head of SIT investigating Beadbi case under Badal govt, he wrongfully indicted two Sikh youth for sacrilege & gave clean chit to Badals. In 2018, I along with INC Ministers, then PCC Pres & present Home minister assured them of our support in fight for Justice (sic),” he tweeted ahead of the meeting on Thursday.

After Sidhu’s public criticism of the decision taken by Channi, former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar hit out at him. “Sidhu should run the party and let Channi run the government. There should be no interference. They can talk to each other, but it is the CM who runs the government. I was CM for nine-and-a-half years and had several state chiefs during that period. We used to discuss, but I never faced the kind of situation he (Sidhu) is creating,” Singh said.

Jakhar, the former Punjab Congress president, tweeted to put his view forward. “Put an end to attempts to undermine the authority of the CM time and again. Aspersions being cast on selection of AG and DGP are actually questioning the integrity/competence of the CM and home minister to deliver results. It’s time to put the foot down and clear the air,” he tweeted.

Sidhu was made PCC chief by the central leadership in July to stem the infighting in Punjab Congress. However, Sidhu announced his resignation on Twitter on Tuesday, just 72 days after he was appointed the Punjab unit chief, plunging the Congress into a fresh crisis in the poll-bound state.