Cong suspends Sidhu’s wife over ‘Rs 500 cr’ jibe

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday suspended Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, from primary membership of the party over her claim that “a briefcase full of Rs 500 crore was required to become the Chief Minister, something her husband couldn’t pay”.

Navjot Kaur also claimed that five CM aspirants in the Punjab Congress were “pulling down the party”.

Dr Navjot calls Warring ‘corrupt’ after suspension

"I refuse to stand with an insensitive and irresponsible, morally dishonest and corrupt president. I stand up for all my brothers and sisters who have been hurt by his incompetence and irresponsible behaviour. I refuse to accept him as the president. I wonder why the CM is shielding him,” Dr Navjot Kaur posted on X soon after Warring suspended her.

Though no official reason has been cited in the suspension letter signed by Warring, sources said the Congress had taken a serious view of her utterances that amounted to “indiscipline and damaging the party’s prospects ahead of the December 14 zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections”.

Dr Sidhu had joined the Congress in November 2016, a month before her husband switched to the party from the BJP in the run-up to the 2017 Assembly elections.

Congress leaders said the suspension could have repercussions as her husband Navjot Sidhu, a former PPCC chief, could retaliate. “The suspension was long overdue. The Sidhus have been leaning towards the BJP. Dr Sidhu needs to explain whether she was speaking on behalf of her husband,” said Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Randhawa.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, who had yesterday joined Dr Sidhu on the issue of selection criteria for the CM’s post, said the suspension was a “cover-up”. “When the issue of money-bag politics has come in public domain, the cat is already out of the bag,” he quipped.

Dr Sidhu’s statement has created a stir in the Punjab Congress, with senior leaders demanding that the Sidhu couple be shown the door. “The suspension is a message to disgruntled leaders who have been criticising the top state leadership. Her statement had caused dent to the party at the national level as the BJP and AAP were using it against the Congress,” said a senior party leader. He said that the suspension had happened in consultation with the party high command and Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel.

Dr Sidhu, who met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria last Saturday over law and order situation, while talking to reporters, had said the Congress was facing infighting, and that her husband would return to active politics if declared the CM face. She also said her husband was “strongly attached” to the Congress and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and would not join any other party.

After clarifying that her remarks had been “misinterpreted”, Dr Navjot today alleged that the Tarn Taran Congress bypoll candidate had paid money to the top state leadership, “who were in cahoots with the ruling AAP”.