DNA Exclusive: Captain out, Sidhu 'hit wicket' amid spree of resignations in Punjab Congress - Read on

New Delhi: Navjot Singh Sidhu is known for his catchphrase ‘Thoko Tali’. We have often seen him say it on TV channels, be it an entertainment show or cricket commentary. This time, however, he has found himself at the receiving end of his own joke. Although he managed to dismiss Captain Amarinder Singh from Punjab politics, he himself ended up hit wicket out.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Tuesday (September 28) discussed the collapse of Punjab Congress leadership which led to a spree of resignations, courtesy Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Sidhu today resigned from the post of Punjab Congress President. Notably, when Sidhu used to play cricket, in the year 1996, after a difference of opinion with his captain in the team, he left England in the middle of the tour and returned to India. Perhaps that is why Captain Amarinder Singh said about him that he is not a stable person and certainly not fit to lead Congress in Punjab.

So far, four leaders have resigned in solidarity with Sidhu, including cabinet minister Razia Sultana.

In his resignation, Sidhu wrote that he cannot do the politics of compromise, which is why he is resigning the post of state president. However, we have come to know that Sidhu resigned as he was not able to run the government the way he wanted to even after the change of Chief Minister.

We have learned that Sidhu was annoyed by the appointment of the new DGP and Advocate General of Punjab. He wanted DS Patwalia to be the new Advocate General, but Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi appointed APS Deol to this post. Sidhu was also upset over the appointment of Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the new DGP of Punjab as CM Channi did not consult him before making the decision.

Another reason for Sidhu’s displeasure was the cabinet of the new government. Rana Gurjit Singh and Gurkirat Singh Kotli were made ministers in the new government, who are said to be in the Amarinder Singh camp.

Due to all of these, the differences between Channi and Sidhu escalated. Sidhu came to understand that Channi was now taking his own decisions. When he felt that even after the removal of Amarinder Singh as the CM, the control of the government was not in his hands, he resigned.

The bottomline is that Sidhu wanted the political field in Punjab to be set according to him. But the new Chief Minister did the field placement in his own way and Sidhu did not get his way. This resulted in him giving away his own wicket.

Amidst this political turmoil, former Amarinder Singh reached Delhi today. There were speculations about him that he may meet BJP leaders and leave the Congress party. But Singh said that he was there on a personal visit.

Meanwhile, CM Channi has said that he has full faith in Sidhu and that he will resolve the dispute through talks.

Today, Sukhbir Singh Badal's statement is also being discussed a lot, in which he had described Sidhu as a misguided missile that cannot be controlled and which can hit anyone anywhere.

Badal’s statement seems fitting today. When Sidhu used to play cricket, he did not listen to his captain and wanted to become the captain himself. Then as a cricket commentator, he tried his luck on TV channels. In that too, he wanted to dominate over the other commentators in every show.

After this, he entered politics. Even there, he did not want to listen to his captain. First, he joined BJP and started making fun of Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. Then he joined Congress and started making fun of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After that, he started playing for Pakistan’s side instead of India’s. His close relations with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and General Qamar Javed Bajwa were seen by all. And when Captain Amarinder Singh objected to this, Sidhu turned against him.

Finally today, Sidhu himself quit as Congress party’s state chief. It’s unclear what he would do next. In Sukhbir Badal’s words, the trajectory of the “misguided missile” cannot be predicted.