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‘Time to put foot down, clear the air’: Former Punjab Congress chief slams Sidhu
Sunil Jakhar remarked that casting aspersions on the appointment of the state's attorney general and the director general of police is directly questioning the integrity and competence of the chief minister and the home minister.
Former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar on Thursday slammed the incumbent state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu for trying to “undermine” the aurhority of chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Jakhar remarked that casting aspersions on the appointment of the state's attorney general and the director general of police is directly questioning the integrity and competence of the chief minister and the home minister.
Without directly taking any name, Jakhar posted Twitter that the time has come to “put the foot down and clear the air.”
Earlier this week, Sidhu stepped down as the chief of Punjab Congress, saying he will continue to serve the party.
In a letter to Congress national chief Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu said he cannot compromise on the future of Punjab.
"The collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee," Sidhu wrote in his letter.
Sidhu was appointed the chief of Punjab Congress on July 23 following a feud with Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the chief minister of Punjab on September 18.
Hours after Sidhu quit, cabinet minister Razia Sultana, Congress state general secretary Yoginder Dhingra and treasurer Gulzar Inder Singh Chahal followed suit in solidarity with him.
Even though Sidhu did not explain about the "compromise" part mentioned in his letter to Sonia Gandhi, party insiders said the former cricketer-turned-politician was disappointed that he wasn't named the chief minister after captain Amarinder Singh stepped down. Charanjit Singh Channi assumed the chair of the 27th chief minister of Punjab.
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Sidhu reportedly criticised the induction of ‘tainted’ MLAs, including Rana Gurjit Singh, into the cabinet of chief minister Channi and appointments of APS Deol as the state’s attorney general and Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the state’s director general of police.
On Wednesday, Punjab Congress leader Sukhwinder Singh Kaka Kamboj said Sidhu's exit doesn't affect the party's prospects to win the election. Kamboj also termed Sidhu's action as betrayal towards the party.
Sidhu was appointed the chief of Punjab Congress on July 23 following a feud with Captain Amarinder Singh.
