Sidhu Takes Charge as Punjab Cong Chief, Amarinder Says 'Will Work Together'

CM Amarinder meanwhile congratulated Navjot Sidhu on his elevation and said they would work together for the state.

Sidhu took charge as the state Congress chief on Friday, 23 July.

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Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday, 23 July, took charge as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief at a ceremony in Chandigarh, and addressed party workers in a fiery speech, promising that he would not let down the state and would accept everyone into the party.

“Navjot Singh Sidhu, a humble worker for Punjab Congress has, today, become the Punjab Congress Chief; no doubt remaining now that I am one with the people of Punjab, not an individual," he said, according to NDTV.

Sidhu also pledged to solve all issues, especially those of the farmers. After his speech ended, he also touched the feet of Captain Amarinder Singh, who was present at Sidhu's elevation ceremony.

Singh, meanwhile, congratulated Sidhu on his elevation and said they would work together for the state.

"We (Sidhu & Singh) will work together for Punjab. Not just Punjab, but India. We share a long border with Pakistan...Pakistan, China and now with America's departure, Taliban in Afghanistan, all of them are going to come and sit at Kashmir's border, Punjab's border," Captain Amarinder Singh said, reported The Tribune.

The Congress' former state President Sunil Jakhar and party's General Secretary Incharge of the state Harish Rawat were also present at Sidhu's elevation ceremony.

Ahead of the ceremony, Sidhu met CM Amarinder at Punjab Bhawan on Friday, 23 July.

The two leaders reached Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh to attend CM Singh's tea party.

CM Amarinder had so far refused to meet Sidhu till he apologised for "his personally derogatory social media attacks against him".

"The Punjab crisis has been resolved, you can see," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said soon after they met, reported news agency ANI.

In a tweet on Thursday, Raveen Thukral, the media advisor to the Punjab CM, said that Amarinder had invited all Congress MLAs, MPs, and senior party functionaries for tea at 10 am on Friday.

"They will all then go together to Punjab Congress Bhawan from there for the installation of the new Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) team," he said.

Sidhu had earlier penned a letter to the CM, urging him "to come and bless the new team of PCC on the occasion of our taking charge" on Friday, news agency ANI reported.

(With inputs from NDTV, The Tribune and ANI.)