Punjab Cong leaders oppose 'Pak PM Imran Khan's friend' Sidhu's appointment as PPCC chief

Amid speculations of Navjot Singh Sidhu likely to be named as the Punjab Congress chief, leaders close to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh have expressed concerns noting that Sidhu's promotion could compromise on the Hindu vote bank. 

According to sources, there has been major apprehension among Congress leaders that the party High Command is bent upon ignoring the Hindu vote bank, which consists of 38% vote share in Punjab Assembly elections.

Top leaders from Captain Amarinder's camp allegedly feel that appointing a man who is known to be a 'friend' of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa is 'a big mistake.'  They also recalled that there was absolute resentment among Indians over Sidhu's controversial hug with General Bajwa at Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony in 2018. 

Congress leaders also cautioned that Pakistan has been fomenting trouble in Punjab for a long time and Sidhu's appointment at PPCC chief may not benefit the party ahead of elections. 

Sidhu hugs Bajwa, praises PM Imran

Navjot Singh Sidhu has often heaped uncritical admiration for PM Imran Khan while turning a blind to the terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The former cricketer and erstwhile Punjab cabinet Minister was heavily criticized all over the country for sharing a warm hug with Pakistan Army chief General Bajwa at an event in 2018. In the same year, Congress’ motormouth leader Sidhu visited Pakistan again and showered exorbitant praise on Prime Minister Imran Khan for conceiving the Kartarpur corridor project.

Sources report that Capt Amarinder Singh is adamant that if Sidhu would be appointed as Punjab Congress chief, the party will break up. The Chief Minister was said to also be upset with the series of meetings happening between Sidhu and the Congress high Command over MLA's role ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. The CM reportedly told interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi that a Hindu face could balance the vote bank for upcoming elections. 

Sidhu vs Captain Amarinder

In recent months, Sidhu has been at loggerheads with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh after the latter denied Sidhu's wife a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections. The couple has publicly attacked the Punjab CM repeatedly during the election campaign. He later patched up with Captain Amarinder over an informal lunch, but it seems to have gone awry as Sidhu began to attack the CM again after the Punjab & Haryana HC quashed the SIT probe into the 2015 Sacrilege firing case. He has repeatedly targeted the CM for not acting against key Shiromani Akali Dal leaders in the same case.