Sidhu vacates UT house

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 21

A day after the formal acceptance of Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation as Cabinet minister, the cricketer-turned-politician vacated his official residence in Sector 2 here on Sunday.

Apart from tweeting about this, Sidhu did not interact with mediapersons, who tried to talk to him as he was moving out with wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu.

On Saturday, a majority of the household goods were loaded and transported out by trucks and the remaining things were taken by Sidhu on Sunday.

Meanwhile, sources close to Sidhu said he had been asked to lay low till there was clarity on the leadership crisis looming large at the top level. Any position in the Central party structure, if offered, would not be to challenge the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh, who has acted with a tough hand with Sidhu.

Given the crisis in the party and MLAs in Goa and Karnataka weaning towards the BJP, the Central leadership is wary of annoying Capt Amarinder Singh at this juncture.

A senior party leader said after the Sidhu episode, any voice of dissent against the Chief Minister had been automatically silenced at the moment.

Interestingly, Sidhu’s exit from the Cabinet has suited SAD as he was one of the few voices to take on them, be it on the drug issue or sacrilege.