No senior Punjab Congress leader was seen either at Navjot Singh Sidhu’s residence here or in the court where the former cricketer surrendered on the orders of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has sentenced Sidhu to one year in jail for the death of a man in the 1988 road rage case.
Some former MLAs, considered to be his loyalists and some supporters, reached Sidhu’s residence in Patiala on Friday morning to offer moral support. These included former MLAs Navtej Singh Cheema, Ashwini Sekhri, Surjit Singh Dhiman, Hardayal Singh Kamboj, Primal Singh, Nazar Singh Manshahia and Jagdev Singh Kamlu.
He accompanied Sidhu to the court where the former cricketer had surrendered. He was also present at Mata Kaushalya Devi Hospital where Sidhu was medically examined. Later Sidhu was sent to Patiala Jail.
Speaking to reporters outside Sidhu’s residence in Patiala, Cheema, a former MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi, said that Sidhu respects the Supreme Court’s decision. Navtej Cheema, however, downplayed the absence of prominent leaders, saying that all have expressed their moral support.
Cheema also said that Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also expressed her support over the phone. “Sidhu ji will come back and shine once again,” Cheema said. Sidhu will return to politics after serving his sentence.
Cheema was the most visible face along with Sekhri and Dhiman, while Sidhu was holding parallel meetings. Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and another senior party leader Pratap Singh Bajwa supported Sidhu, saying that they respect the Supreme Court’s decision, but they stand with their party colleague and his family.
In his tweet, Waring said, “With all due respect for the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decision, I stand with my senior colleague @serryontopp ji and his family at this difficult time.” Waring, who was among the prominent leaders of the Punjab Congress who did not come to Sidhu’s Patiala residence, described Sidhu as his elder brother and said, “I love him very much.” Bajwa, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab, also tweeted to express support.
Bajwa said, “Congress bows before Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decision. Also, Punjab Congress and I will stand firmly with @serryontopp and his family in this difficult time.” After the Supreme Court sentenced Sidhu to one year in jail, Congress MLA Rana Gurjit Singh on Thursday said the apex court’s order should be respected by all.
Singh, the Congress MLA from Kapurthala, had said the apex court’s order should be respected by all and advised Sidhu to introspect, asserting that the verdict was not a setback for the Congress. Congress MLA and former minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also did not see the verdict as a setback for the party and said that the victim’s family has got justice in the matter.
Navjot Sidhu had lost the Amritsar East assembly seat in the 2022 assembly elections. But after the 2022 election results, Sidhu started actively raising the state’s issues and targeted the AAP-led government in the state.
Sidhu did not share the stage with senior party leaders during the foundation ceremony of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Congress president last month. However, Sidhu had met Waring and congratulated him.
Last month, AICC in-charge Punjab Harish Choudhary had written to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking disciplinary action against Sidhu for trying to project himself above the party. Choudhary had also sent a detailed note to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amarinder Singh Raja Waring about Sidhu’s current activities.
His note highlighted the parallel activities of the warring Sidhu and his meetings with expelled leaders including former MLA Surjit Singh Dhiman and Kewal Dhillon. Choudhary had mentioned in the letter that Sidhu had repeatedly criticized the previous Congress government despite being asked not to do so.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi had asked the party chiefs there to resign after the party’s defeat in the elections held in five states earlier this year. After the defeat in the state assembly elections, Congress appointed Waring in place of Sidhu.
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