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Navjot Singh Sidhu quits: Everything will be okay, says Congress leader KC Venugopal amid series of resignations
Navjot Singh Sidhu quit as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief on Tuesday.
Highlights
- Following Sidhu's resignation, three other Punjab Congress leaders quit their posts.
- Sidhu said he will remain in Congress.
- Congress is likely to make efforts to placate Sidhu.
New Delhi: After Navjot Singh Sidhu’s surprise resignation as the Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday (September 28), AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said the party has nothing to worry about as everything will be all right.
Terming Sidhu’s resignation as an "emotional reaction", Venugopal said “everything will be okay”.
Bringing the power tussle to the fore, Sidhu quit as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief. In a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi, the cricketer-turned-politician wrote, “The collapse of a man’s character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab.”
Adding that he will continue to be in Congress, Sidhu wrote, “Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress.”
Following his resignation, Punjab Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana quit her ministerial post, Gautam Seth resigned as General Secretary (in-charge training) of Punjab Congress and Yoginder Dhingra stepped down as General Secretary of Punjab Congress "in solidarity with Navjot Singh Sidhu”.
As per PTI sources, Sidhu’s resignation has not been received by Congress and its leadership will take a call once it reaches them. Sonia Gandhi has held internal discussions on the issue and efforts are likely to be made to placate Sidhu, the sources added.
Sidhu’s resignation came as another blow to Congress which earlier witnessed Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation as the Punjab chief minister ahead of assembly elections in the state next year.
The development has taken place a few days after the allocation of portfolios to the members of the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Punjab Cabinet. Amid various speculations for the extreme step, Sidhu’s displeasure with the home portfolio being allotted to Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and the recent appointments of the acting police chief and the state advocate general by the new CM is being considered as some of the reasons.
(With agency inputs)