Punjab must come back to 'real issues' that concern every Punjabi, says Navjot Singh Sidhu

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday asked party leaders to “stick to real issues” facing the state as a war of words broke out between rival camps after personal attacks on former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari had slammed his colleagues for “squabbling publicly with each other like children” and wondered aloud whether the people of Punjab were “not disgusted by this daily soap opera”.

Tewari, a former Union Minister, also slammed the appointment of the Mallikarjun Kharge Committee set up by the AICC to end factionalism in Punjab Congress as a “serious error of judgement”.

Also Read | Manish Tewari slams Harish Rawat, says 'daily soap opera in Punjab Congress still continues'

Tensions simmering in the Punjab Congress since the change of chief minister last month boiled over last week after state Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa ordered a probe into the alleged ISI links of Aroosa Alam, a Pakistani national and a close friend of former chief minister Amarinder Singh.

Amarinder lashed out at his detractors for “personal attacks” which soon turned into free for all battle. Randhawa took to Twitter to assert that the former chief minister was friends with Alam for years and that she stayed in India as the Centre extended her visa from time to time.

Also Read | Probe will check if Amarinder's Pakistan friend has ISI links: Punjab Deputy CM 

Sidhu’s strategic adviser Mohammad Mustafa shared a photograph of Alam with the then Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta and the then chief secretary Vini Mahajan. Amarinder’s media adviser Raveen Thukral hit back by posting photographs of Alam with Mustafa’s wife and Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana.

Tewari found it ironic that those who complained the loudest of transgressions and aberrations were the worst offenders themselves.

Also Read | Navjot Singh Sidhu calls Amarinder Singh 'architect' of Centre's farm laws 

“For the past five months, it is Punjab Congress v/s Punjab Congress. Do we think that the people of Punjab are not disgusted by this daily soap opera,” he asked.

Sidhu took to Twitter to calm down tempers and asked leaders to come back to raise real issues that concern every Punjabi and future generation.

Also Read | Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal slams Punjab govt over Congress MLA beating up a youth 

“How will we counter the financial emergency that stares upon us? I will stick to the real issues and not let them take a backseat,” he said in a series of Tweets.

“The choice is clear between irreparable damage and the last chance for damage control. Who will bring back the state’s resources to the state’s coffers, instead of them going to private pockets? Who will lead the initiative for the resurrection of our great state to prosperity,” Sidhu said.

Watch the latest DH Videos here: