Politics

In Punjab again in class one, Sidhu strikes again over objections of AG, DGP

October 3, 2021
Bharat Times

File photo of Navjot Singh Sidhu | ani photo

Form of words:

Chandigarh: All is still not well in Punjab Congress. Days after a settlement was reached between state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and its new chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Sidhu is back to publicly express his displeasure over the government’s functioning.

In a new tweet on Sunday, Sidhu reopened the discussion on the appointment of Advocate General (AG) and Director General of Police (DGP), two issues that seemed Solved After the Sidhu-Chani meeting on Thursday.

Sidhu’s move is both a surprise and an embarrassment to the party high command as the tussle between Sidhu and the incumbent Congress government in Punjab is again at its peak.

Last Tuesday, Sidhu had tweeted his resignation from the post of state Congress president over the appointment of AG APS Deol and DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota by the Channi government.

Read also: Build your party, bring down the government – what will former CM Amarinder Singh do next after exiting the Congress?

Sidhu’s objection

Sidhu believed that since Deol was the lawyer of former DGP Punjab Sumedh Singh Saini, he was unfit to defend the Punjab government in cases of police firing on Sikh protesters, in which Saini was an accused. In 2015, during the Akali regime, the police opened fire on protesters demanding justice in cases of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib. Saini was then the DGP.

Similarly, Sidhu considers Sahota unsuitable for the post of DGP as he headed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2015 that probed sacrilege cases and had allegedly implicated two young Sikh youths, who were arrested. It was later let off for lack of evidence.

Following the terms of the agreement reached during Thursday’s meeting of Sidhu-Channi and taking into account Sidhu’s objections, the government had sent a list of 10 senior-most IPS officers to UPSC the same night for selection of a new DGP. With regard to AG, Sidhu was told that Deol’s appointment has the seal of the party high command and cannot be canceled at the state leadership level.

To pacify Sidhu, the government on Friday appointed advocate Rajwinder Singh Bains as special prosecutor to effectively take police firing cases out of the jurisdiction of the AG office.

But Sidhu remained unsatisfied. He tweeted on Sunday: “Our government came in 2017 to demand justice in sacrificial cases and arrest the main culprits of drug trade and because of their failure, people removed the last CM. Now AG/DG appointments sprinkle salt on the wounds of the victims, they should be replaced or else we will have no face!!”

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When Sidhu was asked about the reopening of the issue of AG and DGP, Chief Minister Channi was upset to clarify the government’s position. “With regard to the appointment of DGP, it was made clear to Sidhu that a panel of ten officers was sent to UPSC which would send back the names of three suitable candidates. After receipt of these three names, we will discuss with Sidhu and other MLAs and then unanimously select a person,” the CM said while talking to media persons on Sunday.

The CM said that there was a coordination committee to resolve all the contentious issues. When asked about Sidhu’s latest tweets showing that he was still expressing his displeasure, the CM said that he cannot comment (on Sidhu’s behalf) and this question should be asked to Sidhu.

Channi, however, did not talk about the appointment of the AG.

Sidhu’s latest tweets have started fresh speculation about whether he has withdrawn his resignation – or not. It was believed that he would withdraw his resignation as his camp claimed victory after the Sidhu-Channi meeting, but Saturday’s cryptic message on Twitter has raised fresh doubts:

“Will uphold the principles of Gandhi ji & Shastri ji… Post or no post @RahulGandhi & @priyankagandhi will stand by! May all negative forces try to defeat me, but every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) will win and every Punjabi will win!!” https://t.co/6r4pYte06E

Senior Congress leaders believe that it is “high time” that Sidhu be shown the door as he continues with his “singular-agenda”. “All these things about justice in cases of sacrilege are trivial. Sidhu just wants to have his own DGP and his own AG. That’s all. From the day the new leadership took over the government, he has been insisting on the names of two people but those names have not been agreed upon, so he is constantly angry,” said a senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity.

However, sources in the Sidhu camp suggest that “very soon” the high command will see reason in their request to replace the DGP and AG.

“Sidhu is a very emotional person and feels strongly about cases of sacrilege. He is confident that the leaders of the party high command will see why he is objecting to the choices made by the government. They will realize that these appointments have not been made carelessly without going into decisions without thinking. You will see a change soon,” said a close aide of Sidhu, pointing to the possibility of a change in AG and DGP.

(Edited by Paramita Ghosh)

Read also: In Congress, command has no control – Punjab or Delhi, Sidhu or Amarinder

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