Why take ‘rejects’ Sidhu, Chhotepur, asks Ravneet

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Amritsar, Aug 31

Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu today said there was no need to induct BJP parliamentarian Navjot Singh Sidhu and Aam Aadmi Party’s former state convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur into the party.

The statement came in response to a remark by Sidhu’s wife and BJP legislator Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, who had claimed that “Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder was not capable enough to bring about reforms in the state”.

“Both Sidhu and Chhotepur have been deserted by their parties. When their own parties do not tolerate them, why should the Congress take them,” he said.

Bittu claimed the Congress already had senior leaders such as Capt Amarinder who had successfully contested against BJP stalwarts like Arun Jaitley.

Citing Dr Sidhu’s statement against Capt Amarinder, he said the party would not tolerate leaders who spoke against the PPCC president. Amarinder has in the past welcomed Navjot Sidhu into the party and had expressed sympathy with Chhotepur after he was removed from the convener’s post.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Amritsar (East) Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu today clarified that she never meant to defame any particular party, but an individual and her statement was wrongly misinterpreted to mean that the Congress was not an option for the Sidhus.

“It is the same Congress which was at its utmost glory being run by most honest and dedicated leaders such as Partap Singh Kairon, Maulana Azad, Rajender Parsad, Radha Krishnan etc,” she said.

Pointing towards Capt Amarinder, Dr Sidhu claimed that that had he been honest to his party or the people of Punjab, there would have been no vacuum left in Punjab to be filled by a third party. She alleged that Capt Amarinder had tacit understanding with the Badals and the Majithias that went a long way in ruining Punjab.