The former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress veteran Amarinder Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He did so amidst the speculation of his joining the BJP. Captain Amarinder Singh recently stepped down from his post in Punjab. According to Singh, he discussed the contentious farm laws in the meeting. He also urged Home Minister Amit Shah to repeal the laws and guarantee MSP. At exactly 7:15 am on 30th September 2021, he set off speculation about a change of camp. On record, he said that they discussed farmer’s issues.
It was on Tuesday that Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as Punjab Congress chief. This shocked the Gandhis who had hopes that changing Chief Ministers would help end the turmoil in the state before the elections scheduled early next year. On Wednesday morning, in a video message on Twitter, he said that he will not compromise on ethics. He added that he would fight for the truth till his last breath. He said in Punjabi as quoted, “My fight is issue-based and I have stood by it for a long time. I cannot compromise with my ethics, my moral authority. What I witness is a compromise with issues and agendas in Punjab. I cannot misguide the high command nor can I let them be misguided.”
This cricketer-turned-politician wrote a resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi. The letter said, “The collapse of a man’s character stems from the compromise corner. I can never compromise on Punjab’s future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. I will continue to serve the Congress.”
At about 10:35 am on 30th September, Thursday, an advisor to the Congress leader said that Navjot Singh Sidhu will continue to be the Punjab Congress chief and lead the party to the next elections. According to Mohammad Mustafa, the advisor, they would resolve the issue soon. He said that Mr. Sidhu was not beyond the Congress leadership. He is not former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh who never cared for Congress and its leadership. Sidhu was different. He said that Mr. Sidhu always acts emotionally and the Congress leadership understood that very well.
Just before some time, at approximately 10:07 am on the same day, news came in that senior Congress leader Anand Sharma expressed disgust over the party worker’s protest outside Kapil Sibal’s house. This happened after he raised questions over the functioning of the Congress in the wake of the turmoil in the party’s Punjab Unit. Mr. Sharma is a member of the “Group of 23” along with Mr. Sibal. He said that intolerance and violence are alien to the Congress values and cultures. He also asked All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi to take strong action against the people involved.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Sharma said, “Shocked and disgusted to hear the news of attack and hooliganism at Kapil Sibal’s house. This deplorable action brings disrepute to the party and needs to be strongly condemned.” He stressed the fact that the Congress has a history of upholding freedom of expression.
