Sunil Jakhar makes indirect reference to Punjab Congress crisis; 'Is it finally truce?'

In a wild dig at Punjab political crisis after CM Charanjit Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu's meet, former PPCC President Sunil Jakhar on Friday raised a question - 'Is it finally truce now, armistice sealed? Or is it only a temporary ceasefire?' Trying to wave it off, Sunil Jakhar later said that he was referring to the situation at Line of Actual Contol (LAC) after the recent "Chinese intrusion into our territory". "No inferences please," he said in the tweet posted on his official handle. 

On Thursday, sources informed Republic Media Network that Navjot Singh Sidhu along with Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa planned and plotted to throw Sunil Jakhar out of the race to the Chief Ministership of Punjab. Sources say that they emphasized the need for a Sikh chief throughout.

From being a forerunner, Sunil Jakhar's name altogether disappeared for the Chief Ministership of Punjab. While MLAs sided with Randhawa, the final decision by the high command of Congress was in favour of Charanjit Singh Channi. 

Congress' plan and plot backfires

Days after Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as the CM, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday 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.

On Thursday, Charanjit Singh Channi persuaded Sidhu to come to the talking table. In a big scoop from Navjot Singh Sidhu's meeting with Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Republic Media Network was informed that the new CM stood his ground in their tug of war over key appointments.

In the meeting, Channi made it clear that the appointment of Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as Additional Director General of Police (ADG), and that of APS Deol as the Advocate General (AG) will not be overturned despite Sidhu's demands.

The Congress high command, however, after the meeting, asked Channi to give in to the demands of Sidhu and overturn the appointments of DGP and AG, said sources.