Congress labels Kapil Sibal 'anti-Dalit' for questioning Sonia Gandhi's leadership

Amid the Punjab political crisis, the Congress party on Wednesday attempted a face-saver and attacked its own leaders. In an indirect jibe at Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala said that those questioning Congress leadership are actually hurt by Charanjit Singh Channi- a Dalit being appointed as the Chief Minister of Punjab. Kapil Sibal earlier in the day held a press briefing on behalf of the G23 leaders who wrote a letter to the Congress high command seeking radical in the party. Underlining that they were yet to receive a reply, the veteran leader said, "I am here today with a heavy heart. In the past, we were proud of Congress leadership but can't look at the situation my party is in today. It breaks my heart. It is saddening."

"Today Congressmen are leaving Congress. Sushmita Deb, Former Goa CM, Jitin Prasad, Scindia, etc have left Congress," he added, with a question, "Why are leaders leaving Congress? We have to introspect, maybe Congress is also at fault."

'Amit Shah's residence the hub of of Dalit politics': Congress' deflection

Meanwhile, former state Chief Minister and party MLA Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The development comes a day after Captain Amarinder had asserted that he is going to Delhi to vacate his Kapurthala house, and not to meet political leaders, in what was clearly a very thin ruse.

Referring to Amarinder Singh's meeting with Amit Shah, Surjewala further in his tweet wrote that the Union Home Minister's residence is the 'hub of anti-Dalit politics'. "Amit Shah, as well as PM Modi, are in a mood to take vengeance. They have yet not been able to benefit their capitalist friends through the implementation of the three black laws, and that's why they want to take revenge from Punjab," Surjewala wrote, adding that they won't succeed. 

Days after Charanjit Singh Channi replaced Amarinder Singh as the Chief Minister of Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the presidentship of Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee (PPCC) citing that "the collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner". After Sidhu's resignation, many of his loyalists like Razia Sultana also tendered their resignation. It is not clear what specifically Sidhu has fallen out with the Congress High Command over.

Sources have informed Republic that the Congress high command has decided not to indulge any further in talks with Sidhu. Talking with Channi, the high command hopes to come to a plausible solution, sources said.