Navjot Sidhu again questions functioning of Channi government as Punjab Congress remains house divided

Power struggle intensifies in Punjab Congress as Sidhu castigates Channi government

Ground Zero

 

Jagtar Singh

 

Navjot Singh Sidhu today placed himself on high moral pedestal.

While announcing withdrawal of his resignation from the office of the state party chief, he questioned the decision making of his party government headed by Charanjit Singh Channi on two crucial issues – sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and drugs, both of which are the legacy of the Akali Dal-BJP government led by Parkash Singh Badal. Capt Amarinder Singh, who was given unprecedented mandate in 2017 Assembly elections, faced humiliating exit from the office precisely on these very two issues.

At a media interaction, Sidhu announced that though he had withdrawn his resignation but would resume the office only after fresh appointment to the office of the Advocate General was effected.

He questioned the decision of Channi government to appoint IP Singh Sahota as officiating police chief and APS Deol as the Advocate General both of whom are linked to these two very issues but at different levels in the past. Sahota headed the probe team that tried to divert the Bargari sacrilege at the very first stage while Deol was the advocate for Sumudh Singh Saini who was the state police chief at that time.

It was wrong on Channi’s part to make these appointments as this choice put question mark on the very intention of his government to take these vital cases towards the right direction, if not the logical conclusion.

The Bargari  case has made little progress at ground zero all this time while the probe report in drug cases continues to be in sealed cover.

It is pertinent to mention that Sidhu has focussed on the functioning of the government more than the organisational matters since his appointment as the PPCC chief thereby raising question mark over his own functioning too.

Interestingly, barring the major reduction in in power tariff, Sidhu used the term lollypop for relief for various sections announced by Channi government while expressing concern over what he described as burden of Rs 5 lakh debt that the people of Punjab have been burdened with over the years.

It may be recalled that present finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, after his exit from the Parkash Singh Badal government, too had raised the spectre of mounting debt when he floated his People’s Party of Punjab to context the 2012 Assembly election.

Sidhu is right when questioning these two appointments but now given the fact that the Channi government has only a few days to function before the Assembly election is announced and the code sets in, it is now just matter of perception and ego satisfaction.

Sidhu’s intention might be unquestionable but he definitely has caused embarrassment for his chief minister.

Channi has taken major initiative to change the narrative and perception but what seems to be lacking is the much needed political input close to the forthcoming election. The major decisions must be perceived to be politically correct. Perception plays major role in decision making for the voter.

Moreover, even the so called sops have to be played in a way that the announcement strikes the right political chords. Channi’s predecessor Capt Amarinder Singh had failed to create the right perception while implementing the promise of loan waiver for farmers. What was missing was the political input. Whatever amount of loan was waived failed to have the desired impact in the absence of accompanying political push.

Sidhu ended his media interaction on exaggerated claim of ensuring 100 seats out of 117 for the Congress in February 2021 election. The Aam Aadmi Party too had started the 2017 campaign claiming 100 seats but ended up with 20.

Translating rhetoric into reality is a different game.

The biggest hurdle is the persisting perception of the Punjab Congress being house divided.

Today’s interaction follows pilgrimage to Kedarnath shrine by Channi and Sidhu to generate the signal of the party being united.

Baba Kedarnath does not seem to have blessed them.