Navjot Singh Sidhu to meet Charanjit Singh Channi for talks today, Is Punjab Congress crisis over?

Chandigarh: Cricketer-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who recently quit as Punjab Congress chief, is due to meet state’s Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for talks on Thursday to resolves all issues.

The meeting comes a day after CM Channi reached out to Sidhu and offered to resolve issues through talks. “Chief Minister has invited me for talks, I will reciprocate by reaching Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh at 3:00 PM today, he is welcome for any discussions!”, Sidhu said in a tweet.

Chief Minister has invited me for talks … will reciprocate by reaching Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh at 3:00 PM today, he is welcome for any discussions ! — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) September 30, 2021

Though Sidhu did not elaborate as to why it quit from the post, it is believed that he was upset with the recent appointments of director general of police, state's advocate general and other ‘tainted’ leaders in the state government.

The Punjab unit of the Congress is in turmoil after Captain Amarinder Singh was removed as chief minister and then Sidhu resigned from his post ahead of the crucial assembly elections in the state early next year.  Factionalism in Punjab Congress has come to the fore over recent appointments of the new cabinet and other top officials.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Channi had said, "I have spoken to Sidhu Sahab over the telephone today. The party is supreme and the government accepts the party's ideology and follows that. (I told him that) You come, sit and talk".

"If you (Sidhu) feel there is anything wrong, you can point it out," he said. When asked as to what was Sidhu's response, Channi said that he told him that he would sit and talk, and would give him time for a meeting.

Channi said his government will set up a team under a special prosecutor for fighting cases in courts. "We are setting up a team of a special prosecutor and 10 members, and it will handle our (state government) important cases," he said.

"A special team will be appointed. Therefore, there should not be any doubt about me. Everything will be transparent," he further said. He said, "Whatever feedback we got from colleagues and others and whosoever could be appointed, we appointed. But the decisions will be taken according to the people of Punjab."

"I have no objection or any ego in anything. I am very clear. If anything sends the wrong message to people, I will not be rigid on it," he said in an apparent reference to recent appointments.

The CM had said that he would never step back on issues for which he had been fighting, apparently referring to the delivery of justice in the 2015 desecration cases. 

(With Agency Inputs)