70% Punjab Cong with me, 90% AICC with me; won't support 'thieves': Navjot Kaur

Chandigarh: A day after she was suspended from the party following her "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark that sparked a political row, Navjot Kaur Sidhu claimed that she has the support of 70 per cent of the Punjab Congress and 90 per cent of the AICC.

She also attacked Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for serving a legal notice on her for her alleged defamatory remarks against him and accused him of selling party tickets in Rajasthan and also having links with smugglers.

Randhawa on Tuesday served a legal notice on Kaur, asking her to apologise for making "defamatory" remarks against him or face legal action.

Navjot Kaur is the wife of former Punjab Congress president and ex-India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu. On Monday, the Punjab Congress suspended Kaur from primary membership for her "cash for chair" remark that sparked a political row.

Replying to a question on her suspension, Kaur said the notice came from a state president who does not have any recognition and said many such notices are issued.

Speaking to reporters in Patiala, Kaur said she was in touch with the party high command.

"Proper discussion is taking place with the party (high command). But we have a condition that we will not support 'chor' (thieves)," she said.

"If you want to form a government, there are four to five people in the Congress who were destroying the party. If you are ready to sideline them then we will think," she said without naming anyone.

Asked whether she had the Congress support after her suspension, she said, "I have full support," adding, "more than 70 per cent of the Punjab Congress is with me and 90 per cent AICC is with me".

Asked whether she spoke to high command after the action against her, she said, "I will not share anything now." Lashing out at Randhawa, Kaur alleged that the Congress MP never raised a voice against the Punjab chief minister nor raised the law and order issues.

"Randhawa, who is trying to speak a lot, cannot ensure the victory of his wife (in the Dera Baba Nanak bypoll). You stabbed him (Navjot Sidhu) in his back. You have links with smugglers. In Rajasthan, he took money for tickets," she alleged while slamming Randhawa, who is also the party's in-charge of Rajasthan.

Kaur said she raised issues concerning Punjab including law and order and land occupied by certain people in the Shivalik Range with the Punjab governor.

"I wanted Rahul Gandhi to come here and take up these issues and become a hero but people around him misguided him. In the meantime, the governor gave me time for the meeting," she said.

She reiterated that nobody demanded money from them and said she was asked why they did not become the CM when all of Punjab wanted it. Then she said that to become the chief minister, Rs 500 crore is needed "and we do not have that Rs 500 crore."

She further said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Income Tax may even investigate Navjot Singh. "We are open. We do not have black money nor have we bought properties in Punjab," she said.

Replying to a question, she said, "We will form the government in 2027 for Punjab and Punjabiyat."

She charged that many tickets in Punjab for polls have already been "sold".

"Anil Joshi joined it (the Congress) after giving money. And it is learnt that he is going back to the Akali Dal after being frustrated," she claimed.