Grab your popcorns and saddle up, for the war of words has escalated between Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and rogue cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. Amarinder made his intentions clear that if Sidhu joins any other party to contest election against him — he will certainly lose his deposit at the seat.
“I don’t know where he will go or which party he will join. Akali Dal is upset with him and BJP won’t accept him… so most likely AAP. If he wants to contest against me from Patiala he will meet the same fate as General JJ Singh, who lost his security deposits,” CM Amarinder Singh said in an interview to a private channel.
Sidhu did not reply straight away but posted a series of cryptic yet colourful tweets which were certainly targeted at Amarinder Singh.
“Efforts to derail Punjab’s conscience will fail… My soul is Punjab and Punjab’s soul is Guru Granth Sahibji… Our fight is for justice and punishing the guilty… an Assembly seat is not worth (discussing) in the same breath!!” tweeted Sidhu.
Efforts to derail Punjab’s conscience will fail … My Soul is Punjab and Punjab’s Soul is Guru Granth Sahib Ji … Our fight is for Justice & punishing the guilty, an assembly seat is not even worth discussion in the same breathe !!
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 27, 2021
आप ना इधर-उधर की बात करें बताएँ ? – की गुरु साहेब की बेअदबी का इंसाफ़ क्यों न मिला …
नेतृत्व पे सवाल है ?
मंशा पे बवाल है !!— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 27, 2021
It is imperative to note that Amarinder Singh contests from the Patiala constituency and BJP’s General (retd) JJ Singh, who contested the 2017 election against the CM finished with over 60,000 votes behind Amarinder Singh with just 11.1 per cent of the votes.
In the last 20 days, Sidhu has addressed two press conferences in Patiala – the stronghold of Amarinder Singh. Sidhu has simultaneously leveraged the power of social media and has been regularly uploading videos on his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts where he lambasts the Punjab government for not taking action in drugs case, and not bringing the guilty to book in Bargari sacrilege.
Read more: ‘Hum to doobenge Sanam tumhe bhi le doobenge,’ Sidhu’s warning to Amarinder Singh
Reported extensively by TFI, Sidhu has been extremely vocal against the Punjab government’s functioning and especially Captain Amarinder Singh even when he was a cabinet-level minister — although he had to pay the price for it after he was ejected from the cabinet by the two time CM.
Amarinder had divested Sidhu of the Local Government and Tourism and Cultural Affairs Departments and allotted him the power and new and renewable energy portfolio. However, Sidhu had refused to assume the charge and resigned.
In the Congress party, the presence of Sidhu and Amarinder Singh reflects an uneasy truce. It is a well-known fact that the two senior leaders of the Punjab Congress have had polar views regarding many vital issues. Their inability to see eye to eye isn’t new.
On the invitation of Pakistan’s Foreign Office for the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan, Amarinder Singh had vehemently rejected the invitation by citing the continuous terror attacks from across the border. However, calling it a personal invite from a dear friend, Sidhu not only accepted the invitation but also attended the ceremony.
Read more: Amarinder Singh vs Navjot Sidhu: Sidhu has finally lost
The state of Punjab goes into polls next year and Congress which has already seen its political map shrink by a considerable extent since PM Modi first came into power in 2014, is not willing to lose a state where it still has some sway. However, the war of words between the two heavyweight leaders is exposing the deep fissures within the party which might crack up wide as the assembly polls near.