Punjab Crisis LIVE Updates: Told Sidhu Party is Supreme, Invited Him for Talks to Iron Out Differences, Says Channi as Deadlock Persists

Punjab Crisis LIVE Updates: A day after Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu tendered his resignation from the post, citing no compromise with the future of the state, new chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi met his cabinet amid buzz of more exits in solidarity with Sidhu. Sources said that half a dozen Punjab Congress MLAs and some local party leaders reached Sidhu’s house late Tuesday evening. After his exit, Punjab Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana resigned in solidarity with him, along with party general secretary Yoginder Dhingra. Party sources told News18 that Sidhu’s resignation has not been accepted yet, and that the Congress high-command is in touch with him.

Trouble started brewing on Sunday as a few hours before the new ministers were to take oath as some MLAs wrote to Sidhu, saying the “tainted” Rana Gurjeet Singh should not be made minister since he faced accusations of corruption in sand mining. Gurjeet Singh, in fact, was removed from the cabinet by then chief minister Amarinder Singh over the corruption allegations. Sukhpal Khaira, talking to media after Sidhu’s resignation said his suggestion was ignored that is why he felt he is a “speechless president”. He said Sidhu had taken a stand against corruption, and demanded the resignation of the minister who had caused all the controversy.

Barely days after Charanjit Singh Channi took over as the Punjab CM and on a day portfolios were given to members of the new state Cabinet, 57-year-old Sidhu’s resignation came as a jolt to the party, with the Assembly elections just less than five months away. At the time he switched over to the Congress from the BJP before the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Sidhu had said he is a “born Congressman”, who came back to his roots

Sidhu had said he would be ready to work under anybody appointed by the high command and contest from where the party wants him to. It is premature to talk about the issue, Sidhu had then said when asked whether he would like to be the chief ministerial candidate of the party.

Four-and-a-half years later, the rift between Sidhu and party leader Amarinder Singh escalated to such a level, resulting in 79-year-old Congress veteran stepping down as chief minister, who said he felt “humiliated” over the way the party handled the protracted crisis.

Amarinder Singh, who had called Sidhu “dangerous” and “anti-national”, while reacting over his resignation, again took a dig at him and said, “I told you so, he is not a stable man, not fit for the border state of Punjab.”

With Thanks,Reference to: https://www.news18.com/news/politics/punjab-crisis-live-updates-cm-charanjit-channi-navjot-singh-sidhu-capt-amarinder-singh-congress-rana-gurjit-4259474.html#gotobody