News Analysis India

Tag: Sidhu

  • Road rage case: Sidhu to surrender before Patiala court; leaders, supporters reach his residence 

    By PTI

    PATIALA: A few Congress leaders and supporters on Friday morning turned up at the residence of the party’s former Punjab unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who has been sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a 1988 road-rage case.

    Sidhu is likely to surrender before a court in Patiala on Friday itself.

    ALSO READ: Sidhu road rage case: Finally got justice after 34 years, says Gurnam Singh’s family

    Former Congress legislator Surjit Singh Dhiman was among those to reach Sidhu’s residence in Patiala.

    Patiala District Congress Committee president Narinder Pal Lali, in a message to party supporters on Thursday night, had said that Navjot Singh Sidhu would reach the court at 10 am.

    He urged the party supporters to reach the court complex around 9:30 am.

    The cricketer-turned politician’s wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu had reached the Patiala residence on Thursday night.

    The Supreme Court Thursday had sentenced Navjot Singh Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in a 1988 road-rage case, saying any undue sympathy to impose an inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system and undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law.

    The apex court enhanced the sentence of Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in the road rage incident in which a 65-year-old man had died.

    Sidhu, 58, had taken to Twitter to say he “will submit to the majesty of the law” as the cricketer-turned-politician rode an elephant in Patiala earlier in the day to register a symbolic protest against rising prices of essential commodities.

    A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and S K Kaul allowed a review plea filed by the victim’s family on the issue of the sentence awarded to Sidhu.

    Though the apex court had in May 2018 held Sidhu guilty of the offence of “voluntarily causing hurt” to the 65-year-old man in the case, it spared him a jail term and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.

    “We feel there is an error apparent on the face of record… Therefore, we have allowed the review application on the issue of sentence. In addition to the fine imposed, we consider it appropriate to impose a sentence of imprisonment for a period of one year,” the bench said while pronouncing the verdict.

    When reporters sought his reaction to the verdict on Thursday, Sidhu declined to comment.

    The family of Gurnam Singh, who died in the 1988 incident, said they finally got justice after 34 years.

    “We are grateful to God. We have finally got justice after 34 years,” Gurnam Singh’s son Narvedinder Singh said.

  • Days after disciplinary action, Sidhu says time will reply 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Days after AICC Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary sought disciplinary action against party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, the former state Congress chief issued a cryptic tweet Wednesday, saying he has “given the right to reply to time”.

    Though he didn’t give any context to his tweet, it is being seen as a response to Chaudhary’s letter to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking action against Sidhu for trying to “portray himself above the party”.

    “I often listen to talks against me in silence. I have given the right to reply to time,” Sidhu said in a tweet in Hindi.

    In the letter dated April 23, which surfaced on Monday, Chaudhary had also forwarded a detailed note by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring regarding Sidhu’s “current activities”.

    Chaudhary had noted in the letter that Sidhu relentlessly criticised the previous Congress government despite being asked not to do so.

    Chaudhary had also mentioned that during the ceremony to install Warring as Punjab Congress chief Sidhu had come to the state party headquarters, but did not share the stage with other leaders.

    It was “inexcusable”, according to Chaudhary.

    In his note, Warring was learnt to have highlighted Sidhu’s “parallel activities” and his recent meetings with expelled leaders including former MLAs Surjit Singh Dhiman and Kewal Dhillon.

    Warring had on Monday refused to make any comment on the letter but asserted everybody has to be in discipline.

    The demand for action against Sidhu came also after his tweet wishing the best to poll strategist Prashant Kishor who had hinted at making a fresh beginning from his home state Bihar.

    “The first blow is half the battle my friend. A good beginning always makes a good ending Best always in your sincere efforts to honour the spirit of our Constitution. The power of people must return to the people’, manifold,” Sidhu had said in a tweet.

    He had also put out a picture of him with Kishor the day the poll strategist declined the Congress offer to join the party.

    Following the party’s drubbing in the five states that went to polls earlier this year, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had asked the party chiefs there to resign.

    The Congress appointed Warring in place of Sidhu.

    For months before the elections, Sidhu had been questioning the leadership of the then chief minister Amarinder Singh.

    He also directed barbs at his own party’s Charanjit Singh Channi, who took over as the CM ahead of the elections.

  • Big fight in Punjab: Bikram Singh Majithia of SAD vs Navjot Singh Sidhu of Congress in Amritsar (East)

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: A big fight is on the cards in Punjab for the Amritsar (East) assembly seat as Bikram Singh Majithia of Shiromani Akali Dal is to contest against Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu in the constituency. Former chief minister and SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal will contest the Punjab assembly election from his traditional constituency Lambi.

    In a sudden move, the Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced  the candidature of Bikram Singh Majithia, who is his brother-in-law, from Amritsar (East) in addition to his own constituency, Majithia.

    Badal said,”Navjot Sidhu’s arrogance will be his undoing. He has been harping on his support among the masses. Now his support will be tested by ‘Majha Da Sher’ taking him on in his home constituency. He should get ready to fight the brave SAD workers. We will break his arrogance by ensuring he loses his security deposit.”

    Badal said, “We have called out Navjot Sidhu’s bluster. We know he has not done anything in his constituency for the last five years.”

    He did not do anything in his constituency even as local bodies’ minister. The constituency of Amritsar (East) has drinking water and even sewerage issues which have not been addressed by Sidhu. “Now the people of his constituency will hold him accountable,” he said.

    In December last year, the Punjab Police registered a case under NDPS Act against Majithia and he has been recently given bail for three days by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

    Badal said that a false case against Majithia was registered as he always raised the issues of the people. “Majithia is known to fight for the people. This was not to the liking of the Congress government. They have registered a false case against a Gursikh who is known to do ‘Nitnem’ for two and a half hours every day. Our workers also realized that the best way to seek justice for Majithia was in the people’s court and it is they who pressured the party to make him the party candidate from Amritsar (East),” he said.

    Badal also announced that his father and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal would contest the assembly election from Lambi seat. 

    “The entire party pleaded with Parkash Singh Badal not to retire from politics and he has acceded to our request to contest the forthcoming elections from Lambi. Badal has always been in the forefront to offer his services for the welfare of Punjab and Punjabis and he is doing so again,” he said.

    Badal made these announcements in Amritsar as he re-inducted Chajjalwadi family into the SAD along with a large number of Congress sarpanches and block samiti members. He also announced that Satinder Singh Chajjwalwadi, son of three-time legislator Ranjit Singh Chajjalwadi, would be the party nominee from Baba Bakala.

    In the last assembly polls Sidhu had won Amritsar (East) by a margin of 42,661 votes as he had then got 60,477 votes, followed by then SAD-BKP candidate Rakesh Kumar Honey who polled in 17,668 and Sarabjot Singh Dhanjal from AAP who got 14,715 votes. Majithia appealed to the Election Commission of India to hold the Congress government accountable for violating high court directives and conducting raids on his residence and harassing his family members even before the court passed its final verdict on his anticipatory bail plea. He also demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry into the audio-tape expose of DGP S Chatttopadhay saying the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab could have even resulted in an assassination bid on the PM. 

  • Sidhu has no brains, says Punjab ex-CM Amarinder Singh

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday claimed that the state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has “no brains” and he had advised party president Sonia Gandhi five years ago not to induct “this incompetent man” in the party.

    In a candid revelation, the former CM also said despite getting inputs of the involvement of present CM Charanjit Singh Channi and some other Congress leaders in illegal sand mining in the state, he did not act against them out of his “sense of loyalty to the party” and also because he did not get a “go-ahead” from Sonia Gandhi.

    In an apparent bare-it-all mood while talking to reporters after announcing the first list of his party’s Punjab Lok Congress candidates from 22 constituencies, Amarinder Singh also said he did not act against Channi in a #MeToo case as the woman IAS officer did not pursue her complaint.

    Amarinder Singh’s newly-launched PLC is jointly contesting the February 20 Punjab assembly polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and SAD (Sanyukt).

    Asked if he had said he would will fight against Sidhu, the 79-year-old scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family, said, “I had said we will not allow him to win. Because he is a totally incompetent man”.

    “When the Congress chief had told me (over five years ago) to check how Sidhu was, I had said this man is absolutely unfit to be a member of the Congress party. Yet they went ahead and inducted him,” he said.

    At loggerheads with Sidhu, who had joined the Congress ahead of the 2017 Punjab assembly polls, Amarinder Singh was made to resign last September as the chief minister.

    “From day one, I have said the man has no brains. He is just a waste of time. I had said all this to the Congress president when she had asked me how will he suit us (the party),” Amarinder Singh continued.

    He recalled how Sindhu once told him in Delhi that he does meditation daily for six hours and he wondered if he was a stable person.

    “He told me that he does meditation daily for six hours and talks to God for one hour.

    When I curiously asked what does he talk to God, he replied ‘just the way we talk’,” said Amarinder, adding he had told Sonia Gandhi later that Sidhu did not seem to be a stable person.

    “Sidhu was the only minister I dropped because he was totally incompetent.

    He did not clear and handle his files,” he continued.

    Replying to a question, Amarinder said during his four-and-a-half-year tenure as CM during his second stint, 92 per cent of his poll promises were fulfilled.

    “Tell me, what wrong did I do? Had they told me (earlier) to resign, I would have done that.

    On that day (in September 2021), they (Congress high command) told me in the morning to do so (to step down), I did so by the evening,” said Singh.

    “Who cares? I am not here to cling to anything here,” he added.

    Amarinder Singh again spoke about Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s alleged #metoo case, which, he said, was not pursued by the woman in question.

    “The lady was upset and I told her what can I do when she met me complaining against Channi (who was then a minister). She said she was being harassed. I said I am very sorry to hear this and told her to let me talk to Channi,” Amarinder Singh recalled.

    “Then I called Channi and asked him have you done this. I said I will have to remove you from my ministry if you are indulging in any misbehaviour. He admitted that he did a mistake after which I said you go and meet and apologise to the lady. The lady accepted his apology,” he said.

    Action would have been taken if the woman officer concerned had pressed on her complaint, he said.

    Earlier on Saturday, Amarinder had said Channi’s denial of involvement in illegal sand mining was a “total lie” and alleged he had received inputs that the CM had a share in the mafia, along with other Congress leaders and MLAs.

    On former IPS officer from Punjab Mohammad Mustafa, booked for allegedly making communal remarks at a public meeting in Malerkotla, Amarinder said, “That man deserves to be arrested, he is ruining the atmosphere of Punjab.”

    “That man has no right to be outside and I hope the Election Commission takes notice and he is sent behind the bars,” he said.

  • Sidhu stokes fresh row by calling Pakistan PM Imran Khan ‘big brother’, BJP slams Congress

    By Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu has once again ruffled feathers by calling Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan ‘big brother’ as he paid obeisance at Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan on Saturday after going through the visa-free Kartarpur corridor. He also requested the Union government to open the border for trade with Pakistan.

    A video of Sidhu surfaced in which he is being welcomed by a Pakistani official on his entry into the country via the Kartarpur corridor on behalf of Pakistan PM Imran Khan. In the video, the Congress leader is heard saying Khan was like a ‘bada bhai’ to him and that he loved him a lot.

    The cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu batted for opening the corridor for cross-border trade as he went through the corridor and came back. “I request that if you want to change Punjab’s life, we should open the borders (for cross-border trade). Why should we go through Mundra Port, a total of 2100 km? Why not from here, where it’s only 21 km (to Pakistan),” Sidhu said.

    He said, “With the efforts of PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan, reopening of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been made possible.”

    The BJP hit out at the Congress over Sidhu’s remarks, alleging the opposition party sees terror groups like IS and Boko Haram in Hindutva while it finds a “bhai jaan” in Khan.

    It is a serious matter of concern for India, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said as the ruling party seized on the issue to target the Congress.

    He claimed that there was a larger design at work, and Sidhu’s comments were linked to a number of Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, criticising Hindutva.

    Referring to Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s statement in his latest book, Patra said the opposition party sees terror groups such as the ISIS and the Boko Haram in Hindutva while it finds a “bhai jaan” in Khan.

    It is being done for appeasement politics as the Congress still believes that there is a section in India which will be happy with praise for Pakistan.

    There are no such people in India though, Patra added.

    He noted that Sidhu had praised Khan and Pakistan earlier too and had hugged its army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during an earlier trip to the neighbouring country.

    Noting that Punjab is a border state where Pakistan tries to foment troubles, Patra said it needs a mature and patriotic leadership.

    Sidhu is not right for India and Punjab deserves better than him, he said.

    Pakistan’s foreign minister had recently described Hindutva as a threat to global security, and he had borrowed the term from Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader alleged.

    To a question about Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the farmers’ issue, Patra shot back and asked if she also considers Khan an elder brother like Sidhu as she had in the past called the Punjab leader her brother.

    Sharing the video, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya tweeted, “Rahul Gandhi’s favourite Navjot Singh Sidhu calls Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan his “bada bhai”. Last time he had hugged Gen Bajwa, Pakistan Army’s Chief, heaped praises. Is it any surprise that the Gandhi siblings chose a Pakistan loving Sidhu over veteran Amarinder Singh?”

    Punjab Sports Minister Pargat Singh who is considered close to Sidhu said, “When PM Modi goes to Pakistan he is a ‘Desh Premi’, when Sidhu goes, he is ‘Desh Drohi’. Cannot I call you a brother? We follow Guru Nanak Dev’s philosophy.”

    Earlier, former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had called Sidhu a national security threat as he has relations with Imran Khan and Qamar Bajwa.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • Channi, Sidhu take cold vibes to icy Kedarnath heights

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN:  Amid reports of widening rift between Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, the duo visited former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat in Dehradun on Tuesday. While official statements said the duo stopped at Rawat’s residence while travelling to Kedarnath shrine, party insiders said the visit was the result of party high command’s instruction to the duo to meet Rawat to resolve their differences. 

    A party insider from Uttarakhand told this newspaper that the rift is wide open for everyone to witness. “Sidhu and the CM can’t see each other eye to eye. They were instructed to meet Rawat ji and sort out their differences. Paying visit to Kedarnath shrine seems to be a viable distraction and an alibi.”

    The duo along with Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Chaudhary and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh are visiting Kedarnath shrine. Tough Congress leaders, including Sidhu, tried to portray that everything was fine, the photographs which surfaced after the meeting and from the shrine indicated that attempts to bridge the gap between Sidhu and the Punjab CM not working.

    Sidhu, after meeting Rawat, told media person that “there is no greater ‘dharm path’ than ‘kartavya path’. “Dharm is working for the welfare of the needy and giving people happiness. It’s the message Lord Shiva. We came here to seek blessings so that we could work the people of Punjab.”

    Meanwhile, Rawat said he felt happy to see that “all is well in Punjab”. Everything is working flawlessly and the Congress party is dealing with issues efficiently. I have full confidence in the likes of Harish Chaudhary. Working together in Punjab is taking us towards victory for the Congress.”

  • Punjab Congress crisis: All matters will be resolved, says Channi after Sidhu flags issues in letter to Sonia Gandhi

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: All matters will be resolved and the party’s agenda implemented, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Monday, a day after the Congress’ Punjab unit chief made public his letter to Sonia Gandhi flagging several issues.

    On Sunday evening, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi held a meeting with Sidhu.

    Minister Pargat Singh, considered close to Sidhu, was among those present there.

    Interacting with reporters on Sunday, Channi said, “Be it 13-point, 18-point, 21-point or 24-point, whatever the agenda is will be implemented. No point will be left out.”

    “It’s alright he (Sidhu) raised the issues. We have to implement the party’s ideology. The party is supreme. All issues will be resolved,” he replied when asked about Sidhu’s letter.

    Sidhu has sought a meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi, flagging in a letter issues which the government “must deliver upon” and saying it is the poll-bound state’s “last chance for resurrection and redemption”.

    In the letter to the Congress president on October 15, a day after he had meetings with senior party leaders in Delhi, Sidhu pitched for a “Punjab Model with a 13-Point Agenda to be part of the Congress manifesto for the 2022 Assembly Elections”.

    Days after resigning as Punjab Congress chief, Sidhu had on October 15 said his concerns had been resolved and the party asserted that he would continue as the head of the state unit.

    Sidhu reminded Sonia Gandhi of the party’s 18-point agenda “given to the last chief minister” of Punjab and said that those were “equally relevant today”.

    He had raised several issues including justice in the 2015 sacrilege cases, arrest of “big fish” in drug racket, and scrapping power purchase pacts.

    Sidhu’s letter, which he put in the public domain by posting on Twitter, had indicated that he was still not satisfied with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi-led government over its handling of key issues which he has been raising in the recent past.

    Channi became the chief minister after the unceremonious exit of Congress veteran Amarinder Singh, who had been at loggerheads with Sidhu.

  • Sidhu has not sought time to meet Amarinder Singh: Punjab CM advisor

    By PTI
    CHANDIGARH: Newly appointed Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu has not sought time to meet Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, an advisor of the CM said Tuesday, rejecting reports suggesting the former cricketer had sought an appointment.

    There is no change in the stance that Singh will not meet Sidhu till he publicly apologises for his “derogatory” tweets against him, chief minister’s media advisor Raveen Thukral said, indicating the simmering tension between the two leaders is far from over.

    “Reports of @sherryontop (Sidhu) seeking time to meet @capt_amarinder are totally false. No time has been sought whatsoever.No change in stance.. CM won’t meet #NavjotSinghSidhu till he publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him,” Thukral tweeted.

    Sidhu, who had been at loggerheads with the CM over various issues, was appointed the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief despite strong opposition from the CM.

    Singh was learnt to have told AICC general secretary Harish Rawat last week that he will not meet the cricketer-turned-politician until he publicly tenders an apology for his “derogatory” tweets against him.

    There has been no reaction from the CM over the Amritsar East MLA’s elevation to the post of the chief of the party’s state unit.

    Earlier, senior Congress leader and cabinet minister Brahm Mahindra had ruled out any personal meeting with Sidhu till he resolves his issues with Chief Minister Singh.

    The statement comes on a day Sidhu went to Amritsar where he got a rousing welcome from his supporters and party workers.

    In a statement issued here, Mahindra said the decision to appoint Sidhu had been taken by the high command and is welcome.

    “However, I will not meet him (Sidhu) till he meets the Chief Minister and resolves his issues with him”, Mahindra said.

    He said Singh is the leader of the Congress legislature party and he (Mahindra) is duty-bound to follow him.

    Before going to Amritsar, Sidhu had been calling on ministers and legislators in Chandigarh to mobilise support in the past few days.

    Sidhu had already met several ministers and MLAs.

    The cricketer-turned-politician will pay obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday and many party leaders were expected to be there.

  • Congress trying to replace ‘failed’ CM with Navjot Singh Sidhu who is known more for ‘theatrics’: Sukhbir Badal

    The Congress government was not only pursuing a policy of “divide and rule” but was helmed by the “worst” chief minister in the history of Punjab, Badal alleged.

  • Sidhu gets audience with Gandhis amid talks of role changes

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Miffed  Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday met former party chief Rahul Gandhi amidst the ongoing tussle in the Punjab unit of the party ahead of next year’s Assembly elections in the state.

    Sidhu, who is engaged in a tussle with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, also met party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He  had a longer meeting with Priyanka. The two reportedly discussed issues concerning the state unit, his differences with the CM and Assembly polls.

    After meeting Sidhu, Priyanka met Rahul. This was followed by another round of meeting  with Sidhu at her residence.  Amid crisis in the Punjab unit, Rahul has been meeting leaders from the state to iron  out differences. The meeting with Sidhu comes amid talks that the high command will take a decision on organisational changes in state units.

    Last week, Amarinder met the central panel under Mallikarjun Kharge and was  given an 18-point agenda with deadlines to settle issues related to  sacrilege cases, liquor mafia and sand mining in the state. The Punjab CM  during his meeting with the panel has made it clear that giving in to  Sidhu’s demands would hurt the party’s electoral fortunes next year.

    There were reports that Sidhu could be inducted as deputy chief minister or given charge of a campaign committee in the state. The panel has said that a final decision on organisational changes and clarity on Sidhu’s  role is expected by early July. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has said that delay in taking decisions on the matter is not good for the  party.