Sidhu Cannot Justify This ‘Breach of Trust’: Congress Leader Sunil Jakhar

Captain Amarinder Singh had said, "I told you so…he is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab."

Congress leaders Sunil Kumar Jakhar.

(Photo: IANS)

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar criticised Navjot Singh Sidhu hours after the latter's resignation as the Punjab Congress chief, and said, “No amount of grand standing can justify this breach of trust placing his benefactors in a peculiar predicament.”

Referring to Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), the term used for the Congress’ state units, Jakhar said in a tweet, “It's just not cricket! What stands compromised in this entire 'episode' is the faith reposed in the (outgoing?) PCC President by the Congress leadership.”

Sidhu had announced his retirement in 1999 when he was still a celebrated cricketer before a match fixing scandal in 2000 involving former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin, NDTV reported.

The reference to cricket in Jakhar’s tweet was seen as a swing at the controversies Sidhu was involved in. He later joined politics in 2004, contesting the Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket and won from Amritsar.

Meanwhile, as soon as Sidhu resigned, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh quipped and said "I told you so…he is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab."

'Extremely Disturbing': Congress Leader Manish Tewari on Punjab Crisis

Veteran Punjab Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday, 29 September, stated that the turmoil within the politics of Punjab will have an effect on the larger stability of the state.

"As a Punjab MP, I'm extremely distressed about happenings in Punjab," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI, adding that "this kind of instability is extremely disturbing".

"Whatever Captain Amarinder Singh had predicted is coming true. The concern of a large number of us who see things beyond the cut and thrust of partisan politics is implications that this will have on larger stability of Punjab, given the social turmoil because of farmers' agitation."

Manish Tewari, as quoted by ANI

"There's a higher ideal than power, than ministers holding org positions. That higher ideal is ensuring peace, tranquillity and stability of a border state like Punjab. Under those circumstances what has been playing itself out is extremely unfortunate," Tewari further observed.

"What Punjab required at this point of time was a safe pair of hands that could keep the ship on an even keel. Unfortunately, people who were charged with the remit of looking at the state did not have a clue about the big picture," he was quoted as saying.

Background

Sidhu had joined Congress ahead of the assembly election in Punjab in 2017. The Congress won the state election then and Captain became the chief minister, while Sidhu was made Punjab's tourism and local bodies Minister.

The infighting in the Congress' Punjab unit intensified this year, with Sidhu censuring Captain alleging that his colleagues were being threatened for speaking the truth about the ‘Sacrilege’ case.

However, days after all the political drama culminated into Captain's resignation, Sidhu resigned as the Punjab Congress chief saying, "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.”

(With inputs from NDTV)