Navjot Sidhu holds rally in Moga, organisers get notice

After former state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu held a political rally in Moga on Sunday without consulting the local unit, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) issued a show-cause notice to the organisers for “indiscipline”. Sidhu was, however, not served any notice.

This was his fourth ‘Jittega Punjab, Jittegi Congress’ rally at Moga. The former cricketer-turned-politician had earlier held three rallies, including two in Bathinda and one in Hoshiarpur, without consulting the state unit.

The Moga rally was organised by the party’s former district president Maheshinder Singh, a former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator from Baghapurana who had joined the Congress in 2017 after being denied an assembly ticket. He was appointed the Congress district president in 2019.

Though the local party unit in Moga distanced itself from the rally, stating that it was Sidhu’s solo event, many supporters turned up for it.

PPCC general secretary Captain Sandeep Sandhu issued a show-cause notice to Maheshinder and his son Dharam Pal, following a complaint by Moga party in-charge Malvika Sood Sachar.

Sachar had openly opposed the rally and asked Congress workers not to participate, terming it a ‘personal event’.

The show-cause notice read, “A complaint was received from Malvika Sood Sachar that you did not discuss this meeting with her nor did you inform the Pradesh Congress office, district president or local leaders. The party’s principle is that if any programme is to be carried out in the constituency, it should be with the consent of the local senior leadership.

“Ever since the assembly elections, there have been many complaints that you are in touch with the Aam Aadmi Party and involved in activities against the party. You are given two days to present your side; if there is no response from you, then the party will take disciplinary action against you,” the notice added.

When contacted, Maheshinder said, “It was Navjot Sidhu’s rally and we organised it for him. We will reply to the show-cause notice soon.”

Sidhu takes on CM Mann

Addressing the rally, Sidhu attacked chief minister Bhagwant Mann saying that the latter always evades the hard questions. “Sidhu will hit you with facts. I challenge Bhagwant Mann to debate on facts,” he said.

“CM Mann is talking about giving big financial packages and bringing industry from foreign countries. But even local industrialists are moving to Uttar Pradesh and other states. Mann has not fulfilled the promises he made before coming to power. Punjab’s debt has only increased under him,” he said.

Sidhu also made a veiled attack on his party’s leadership.

“I will bring back the leaders, who are the roots of Congress. We don’t want bhed bakriyaan (cattle). We have to take Punjab forward and for this, we need to bring forward honest Congress leaders,” he added.

Sidhu’s solo rallies haven’t been going well with the state leaders, who had recently raised the issue with Congress Punjab affairs in-charge Devender Yadav.