Punjab Congress MLAs, ministers rush to Patiala

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 29

Almost a week after PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu set the stage for party stalwart Capt Amarinder Singh’s replacement, he is “adamant to quit”.

Though party insiders say he may be replaced if he doesn’t budge by Thursday, Sidhu is “sure not to work in the present set of things”. During more than 24 hours of his self-imposed exile at his ancestral home in Yadavindra Colony here, Sidhu has met almost over 15 MLAs and many Cabinet ministers, but has cold-shouldered everyone when it came to a “rethink on his resignation chant”. “Where have our promises gone? I will continue to fight against the wrong. Even if alone, I will not budge and will continue to fight for what is right for the people of Punjab,” he said.

With Capt Amarinder Singh meeting Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Congress insiders say Sidhu is short of time for a compromise formula. “From the CM to many senior party leaders, including his close aide Pargat Singh, all have tried their best, but Sidhu is non-committal about a rethink on his resignation,” said a senior Congress leader.

Sources say Sidhu has made it clear to all party leaders that there is no way he is going to backtrack from the promises he made to the people of Punjab, including a “clean” government.

“He is not going to backtrack on the issues raised by him and stands by his resignation. Those coming to meet him can continue with the government, but he won’t compromise on his stand,” he is learnt to have told the leaders who visited him today.

An MLA who spent over two hours with Sidhu told The Tribune that Sidhu would not take back his resignation with the “given set of ministers and officers appointed in the past two days”. “He clearly told us that if no one is willing to stand by him, he will continue to move ahead and fight till his vision of Punjab is fulfilled,” the MLA said. Another Congress leader who met him said: “Sidhu felt sidelined over recent appointments in the government.”

While Ghanaur MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur, who was seen cosying up with Sidhu when he was appointed the PCC chief, stayed away and so did majority of the leaders from Patiala. Those who visited him today were PCC working chief Pawan Goel, Congress MLAs Fatehjang Bajwa, Inderbir Bolaria, Nathu Ram and Surjit Dhiman. Many other party workers and PCC members also met him. “We hope the crisis is resolved soon with the intervention of the party high command,” Goel said.

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