He’s trying to blackmail party: Akalis

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 14

Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal and his Union minister wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal today hit out at Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, stating that he was fond of engaging in theatrics while also accusing him of blackmailing the ruling party.

Talking to mediapersons during his visit to Jalalabad, Sukhbir said, “There was no need for him to write a letter to Rahul Gandhi when a one line message to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would have sufficed. It is now clear that Sidhu submitted the resignation letter one month back only to blackmail the party and force it to bend to his will. This shows Sidhu is an opportunist who only believes in self promotion.”

On a visit to Bathinda, Harsimrat too targeted Sidhu, stating that if he really intended to quit his Cabinet berth he should have sent his resignation to the Chief Minister. She questioned that rationale behind writing the letter to Rahul Gandhi who is no more the party president. “I am surprised what took him so long to quit the Cabinet. He had an opportunity to reduce the burden of people who are reeling under high power tariff and also ensure uninterrupted power supply to the farmers in crucial paddy season, but he chose to quit. He didn’t do anything for the people even as the Local Bodies Minister,” she alleged.