Punjab Crisis Live: Congress's house of cards hangs in balance, Piyush Goyal expresses 'concern'

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday again strongly demanded replacement of Punjab's police chief and advocate general from his own party's government, saying otherwise “we will have no face.”

His tweet pressing the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government to change the director general of police and state's advocate general appears to indicate that he continues to remain unhappy over certain key appointments.

. Singh said the "panic-stricken" party, which was grappling with internal chaos, is trying hard to shift the blame of its own failures.

"It's sad to see the way they are resorting to blatant lies to justify their wrongdoings," he said.

The Congress veteran alleged that "preposterous lies" were being floated by party leaders in a "clear bid to cover up their mishandling of the crisis" in Punjab.

Amarinder Singh said since 2017, the Congress had swept every election in Punjab with him at the helm of the government, which was in total contrast to the claims being made by the party leadership.

In the last Assembly elections, the party won an unprecedented 77 seats.

In the by-elections in 2019, the Congress won three of the four seats, even winning from Sukhbir Badal's stronghold of Jalalabad.

Even in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party swept eight of the 13 seats despite the massive BJP wave in the country, said Singh.

And in February this year, in the elections to seven municipal corporations, the Congress won 281 of the 350 seats (80.28 per cent), he said.

Clearly, the people of Punjab had not lost trust in him as claimed by Surjewala, said Singh.

. Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday slammed the Congress, saying the "panic-stricken" party is in "disarray" and its leaders are telling lies to "cover up mishandling" of the crisis triggered by infighting in its state unit.

His remarks came hours after Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed that 78 party legislators had sought Singh's ouster in a letter to the central leadership and it was not party president Sonia Gandhi who made him quit.

. The protest by Congress MPs from Punjab at Jantar Mantar here against the farm laws completed 300 days on Saturday, one of the protesting parliamentarians said.

On the 300th day, Rajya Sabha MP KTS Tulsi met the protesting lawmakers and along with Jasbir Singh Gill, Ravneet Bittu, Gurjit Aujla, Kulbir Singh, Parminder Pinki marked the occasion at the protest site. The MPs demanded a repeal of the farm laws.

In a statement, Gill alleged the BJP is the most "self-centred party" which can "stoop to any level for votes".

Misuse of constitutional institutions is rampant to browbeat political adversaries and to silence dissenting voices, he alleged.

The protesting MPs said at least one of them always stays at the protest site.

The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers' protest.

. The Shiromani Akali Dal on Saturday lashed out at the Congress-led Punjab government for "miserably failing" to compensate farmers of the state's cotton belt who faced "huge losses" due to pink bollworm attack.

. As Congress grappled with the crisis in Punjab, trouble was brewing in Chhattisgarh, with MLAs loyal to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel camping in Delhi to thwart any attempts at a leadership change.

If that wasn't enough, the party in Meghalaya was on the verge of implosion as disgruntled legislators were all set to join the Trinamool Congress.

. Amid speculation about a possible change of guard in the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday asserted that his state can never become Punjab, and said the two states bear only one similarity - that of having numbers in their names. "Punjab is land of punj (five) aab (water). It is made up of five rivers. Similarly Chhattisgarh has derived its name from 'chhattis' (thirty six) 'garh' (fort). No other states have numbers in their names. There is no other similarity between the two states," he added.

. So far none of Congress' actions seems to suggest that they've any concern for the national security or interest. I've not yet heard any comment from any senior leader, except G-23, who has also expressed a similar concern about the happenings in Punjab: Piyush Goyal

. It is very, very deeply unfortunate that the Congress party has gone to the level of compromising the national security for petty, personal, or political gains of a few people: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

. Even as a BJP leader, I am extremely, deeply concerned about what is happening in the Congress party in Punjab because national security comes first for us: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Punjab Crisis Live: Congress's house of cards hangs in balance, Piyush Goyal expresses 'concern'

Sidhu reiterates demand for removal of Punjab DGP, AG

Having been pushed into a corner over its "mishandling" of the Punjab crisis, the Congress is now in a total state of panic which was evident in the statements of its leaders, Singh claimed

Cong in disarray, leaders telling lies to cover up mishandling of Punjab crisis: Amarinder

Congress MPs' protest at Jantar Mantar against farm laws completes 300 days

Akali Dal attacks Punjab govt for 'failing' to compensate cotton farmers hit by pink bollworm attack

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