‘Inept Handling’: Punjab CM Intends to Change Sidhu’s Portfolio

Singh also blamed Sidhu for the losses that Congress party suffered in urban areas of Punjab, especially Bathinda.

Navjot Singh Sidhu (L), Capt Amarinder Singh (R). Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday, 23 May, said he intended to change the portfolio of Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for his “inept” handling of local bodies department.

He also blamed Sidhu for the losses that the Congress party suffered in urban areas of Punjab, especially Bathinda.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Congress won three seats in Punjab while the party managed to clench 78 of the 117 seats in the state Assembly in 2017.

The chief minister said the urban vote bank had been the backbone of the party in the state but Sidhu’s failure to do any development work had impacted the Congress, which had performed well this time in rural areas.

AMARINDER SINGH VOWS ACTION AGAINST SIDHU

“I intend to change Sidhu’s portfolio for his inept handling of his department,” PTI quoted Singh as saying.

According to the news agency, Singh also intends to approach the Congress high command over Sidhu’s remarks on the sacrilege issue. The chief minister is confident that party President Rahul Gandhi and even Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will take action in the interest of the state.

A day before polling, Sidhu had raised questions on the probe into the desecration of religious texts in 2015.

Singh said it was wrong on his part to make the controversial remarks and the minister evidently did not understand that a special investigation team (SIT) had been set up to probe the sacrilege issue.

Singh once again raked up the issue of Sidhu hugging Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Bajwa and said “yari and jhappi” (friendship and hugs) with the Pakistani army chief would not be tolerated, especially by army personnel, who were being killed by the ISI-backed terrorists.

AMARINDER SINGH CLAIMS SIDHU EYEING CM CHAIR

Earlier this week, Punjab chief minister also claimed that Sidhu wants to replace him as the Punjab chief minister.

Speaking to ANI, Singh had said, “He is ambitious. Everyone has his/her own ambition. I know him since childhood. I have no difference of opinion with him. But he probably wants to become the chief minister and replace me, that is his business.”

In the run up to the polls, a war of words had ensued between Sidhu and Singh after Sidhu’s wife said she was denied a ticket to contest elections but Singh had said that she was given a chanced but she refused.

WHAT WENT WRONG BETWEEN SIDHU AND AMARINDER?

Experts and political analysts believe that trouble started brewing between Sidhu and Singh after the latter was made the Minister of Local Government, Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Archives and Museums. It is believed that Sidhu was upset as he harboured the ambition of becoming the chief minister.

According to Amitabh Tiwari, Sidhu wanted the seat of deputy chief minister which was also denied to him.

In 2018, Sidhu drew the ire of Captain Amarinder Singh after he attended Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony and hugged Pakistani Army Chief Qamar Bajwa. Singh vehemently opposed Sidhu’s gesture.

The Punjab chief minister was also opposed to the idea of Sidhu’s visit to Pakistan during the ground breaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor, which will give visa-free access to the people of India to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.

Sidhu too had hit back at Singh saying that his captain was Rahul Gandhi and “captain's captain was also Gandhi.” He also said that Singh was opposed to the trip not the Congress party.