Chandigarh: The meeting was expected to be a marathon one. But it did not last long. And if the time consumed by the distribution of bouquets, sipping tea and consuming biscuits is taken into account, the “deliberations” pruned further.
Former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday met state chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi to sort out the issues raised by him over government appointments and tainted ministers. While some ministers like former Olympian Pargat Singh were present at the meeting, the issues were mostly discussed one-to-one.
If sources close to both Sidhu and Channi are to be believed, all issues raised by Sidhu were discussed threadbare. Most were resolved. They will be implemented step-by-step. Unhurried.
Among the issues sorted out include replacing advocate general A.P.S. Deol who had secured blanket bail for accused former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the Behbal Kalan police firing case over the desecration of the holy book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Saheb, which led to the death of two youths. The issue had plunged Punjab into turmoil in 2015.
.jpg)
On the induction of tainted legislators into the cabinet, the matter has been referred to the Congress high command to intervene.
The appointment of DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota was also discussed. Sahota was given the additional charge of the state’s DGP by the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government.
Sahota was the head of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the desecration case under the Parkash Singh Badal government and held the two Sikh youths responsible for the police firing.
Channi had on Wednesday spoken to Sidhu who was in Patiala and promised he would reconsider some of the appointments. “I told Sidhu that the party believes in consultations, please come and we can fix this. If anyone has any objections to any appointment, then I am not rigid on that. There is no ego tussle,” Channi said.
“On the point of withdrawing his letter of resignation as state party president, Sidhu said he would ponder over it and after taking a decision leave the matter to the high command to decide. Though there was no reassurance, at least for now the crisis in the party is over,” a Congress minister who was part of some of the deliberations revealed on condition of anonymity.
Mohammad Mustafa, whom Sidhu had chosen as adviser, remarked the crisis in the state Congress stood resolved. “Sidhu, unlike Amarinder, cares for the party and the leadership,” he said.
While most of Sidhu’s demands have been met, the decisions have been left to
Channi and Sidhu also discussed Amarinder’s meetings with BJP leader Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
“What was the point of Amarinder rushing to Delhi to meet Shah and Doval and not anyone from the Gandhi family? He has exposed the nexus he always had with the BJP and not the Congress. Dictators are always closeted with dictators. It is good that Amarinder’s true colours are now in the open. He seems to have forgotten that Punjab is not anyone’s ‘riyasat’ like Patiala was once. It is just one of the many districts that comprise independent India,” a senior Congress leader remarked.
