Congress may replace Navjot Sidhu as PPCC chief; Rahul Gandhi summons Punjab CM to Delhi

In a major development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called an urgent meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Kuljit Nagra, and Ravneet Bittu. As per Republic sources, Rahul Gandhi in his meeting with Punjab CM Channi & others is likely to decide the name of the new chief of PPCC (Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee). It is pertinent to mention here that various attempts by the Congress High Command and the Punjab CM were made to pacify Navjot Singh Sidhu to take back his resignation. 

However, Channi's firm stance on the appointment of APS Deol as Punajb's Advocate General and Iqbal Singh Sahota as Punjab DGP did not make a breakthrough. Even many senior Congress leaders including Sunil Jakhar backed Channi's decision and slammed Sidhu to undermine the authority of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. 

Sidhu-Channi's tug of war over DGP & AG's appointment

Sidhu's resignation shocked Congress, as he was appointed as the Chief of PPCC on July 23 amid a tussle with the then Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh. Sidhu's resignation came after new CM Charanjit Singh Channi distributed portfolios to his expanded cabinet. As per Republic's sources, Navjot Sidhu had protested the appointment of APS Deol as state Advocate General and Iqbal Sahota's appointment as Punjab DGP. 

Deol had represented former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in an alleged corruption case earlier this month when the Amarinder Singh government was under political pressure for allegedly failing in making any headway in the 2015 Kotakpura police firing case, in which Saini was an accused. Deol had appeared for Saini and other accused in the 2015 sacrilege cases in the High Court. In the past, Deol has also appeared for former CM Amarinder Singh in some criminal cases registered during the SAD-BJP regime. Sahota was the head of the SIT formed in 2015 by the then Shiromani Akali Dal government to probe the sacrilege incidents. 

However, Channi stood firm to his decision despite opposition from Sidhu. On September 30, Channi in his meeting with Sidhu made it clear that the appointment of the  Director-General of Police (DGP), as well as the Advocate General (AG), will not be overturned. Channi had also asked Sidhu to reconsider his decision of resignation that has torn the Congress apart in the state yet again. As a middle-ground, Channi has told Sidhu that if he is not happy with IPS being appointed as the DGP then a special prosecutor will be appointed for sacrilege cases.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Sidhu stressed that Congress came to power in 2017 owing to the public outcry for justice in the sacrilege cases and the drug trade. Asserting that Captain Amarinder Singh was removed as the CM owing to his failure to take action on this front, he said that the appointments of the AG and DGP were akin to rubbing salt on the wounds of the victims.

(Image: PTI)