'Punjab's Last Chance for Resurrection': Sidhu Writes to Sonia, Seeks Meeting

Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Friday, 15 October, wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi asking for a meeting to present a 13-point agenda for the party’s campaign.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Friday, 15 October, wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi asking for a meeting to present a 13-point agenda for the party’s campaign, and dubbing the same: “Punjab’s last chance for resurrection and redemption.”

“After multiple deliberations and consultations with party workers from across Punjab and with deep understanding of the public sentiment over 17 years of public life, I express with a lot of pain in my heart that this is Punjab’s last chance for resurrection and redemption.”

Navjot Singh Sindu

Thereafter, on Sunday afternoon, Sidhu tweeted a copy of the same letter.

The 13 Points

The 13 points highlighted by Sidhu in the letter are:

• Justice in sacrilege cases

• Drugs

• Agriculture

• Electricity

• PPAs

• Scheduled Caste and Backward Caste welfare

• Employment

• Single-window system and comparative advantage

• Women and youth empowerment

• Liquor

• Sand mining

• Transport

• Cable mafia

Further, asking Sonia Gandhi to “please kindly consider these points and give your august direction to the State Government,” Sidhu warned:

“It might be the last damage control exercise or else, Mafia-Raj ruling the State patronised by the Badals will take the state to the extent of financial emergency, joblessness, corruption and agrarian crisis, from which there will be no return.”

Background

The letter was written on 15 October, a day after Navjot Singh Sidhu reportedly met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal and retracted his resignation as Punjab Congress president.

Earlier on Thursday, Sidhu also met Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Harish Rawat, following which he was quoted by ANI as saying that he will follow whatever directions senior leaders in the party have for him. In September, Sidhu had submitted his resignation from the post of the state’s party chief, days after Sidhu’s rivalry with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh culminated into the latter's resignation.