Navjot Singh Sidhu is all set to take charge as Punjab Congress chief on Friday, June 23. Meanwhile, Sidhu has reportedly invited Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh to the event where he will formally assume charge as president of the Punjab Congress.
According to news agency ANI, Sidhu has sent an invitation signed by around 65 MLAs to Singh. He has also invited All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Punjab, Harish Rawat to the programme.
This comes amid the ongoing infighting within the Punjab unit of the Congress party. Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amarinder Singh have been at loggerheads for the past some time, with the Amritsar (East) MLA recently attacking the CM over the desecration cases.
On Tuesday evening, the CM's media advisor Raveen Thukral had said Singh will not meet Sidhu until he "publicly apologises" for his social media attacks.
"Reports of @sherryontop seeking time to meet @capt_amarinder are totally false. No time has been sought whatsoever. No change in stance... CM won’t meet #NavjotSinghSidhu till he publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him," Thukral had tweeted.
Earlier on Tuesday, Punjab minister Brahm Mohindra had also ruled out any personal meeting with Navjot Singh Sidhu till he resolves his issues with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
Meanwhile, MLAs supporting Sidhu on Wednesday said the newly-appointed Punjab Congress chief won't apologise.
"Why should Sidhu apologise (to CM)? It's not a public issue. CM has not solved many issues. In that case, he should also apologise to the public," Congress MLA Pargat Singh said.
MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur said, "I have faith that 2022 Assembly polls will be won because of Sidhu. CM's advisers are misleading him. Due to this, Punjab is going backward." "The day Sidhu was appointed as the Punjab party president, about 5 per cent of votes for Congress increased. The youth who were leaving Congress and joining the AAP party came back because of this. I am sure that at least 20 per cent of votes for Congress will increase because of Sidhu," he added. "Sidhu is not just Sidhu anymore; he is the Punjab Congress president. He has nothing to apologise for. Although, yes, Sidhu should respect him since he is like a father to us all," Jalalpur further said.
On Wednesday, in a first show of solidarity and strength, Navjot Singh Sidhu along with 62 legislators, comprising many state Cabinet ministers, paid obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. This was Sidhu's first visit to Amritsar after being appointed to the post by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on July 18.
(With ANI and PTI inputs)
