A week after resigning from the Rajya Sabha and causing ripples within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the outspoken leader Navjot Singh Sidhu broke his silence on his reasons behind this decision.
The rumour mills, however, won’t get any respite, as Sidhu in a press conference on Monday morning chose to evade any questions about joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Speaking to the media, Sidhu put the blame squarely on the BJP high command. He said he resigned because the party asked him to stay away from Punjab in the upcoming 2017 polls.
I was asked to not even look at Punjab. How can I quit my roots? This is the fourth time it happened, and it was hard to accept this time.Navjot Singh Sidhu
Sidhu was nominated to the upper house three months ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Monday’s interaction with the media was one in Sidhu’s trademark style, sprinkled with poetry and witty rhetoric. Elaborating on his reason for quitting the Rajya Sabha, Sidhu remarked:
Even a bird comes back to its nest, how can Sidhu leave his home, his people? How can I not think of Punjab?
Further, the flamboyant cricketer-turned-politician added:
Duniya ki koi party Punjab se badi nahi hai. Punjab is my priority... Where Punjab will benefit, you will find me standing there. I only want to serve Punjab and Amritsar.
Politicians React
Not missing the opportunity to attack the BJP over the debacle, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted within an hour of Sidhu’s press conference.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – the BJP’s alliance partner in Punjab – reacted sharply to Sidhu’s comments. Speaking to News18, an SAD spokesperson questioned Sidhu’s love for Amritsar, claiming that he had ignored the city during his tenure.
However, he added that it was the BJP’s internal matter and the SAD had no role to play in what its partner in Punjab decides.
Sidhu’s outburst against the BJP, which has given the opposition an opportunity to attack it, will not go down well with the party top brass.
Earlier on Sunday, Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla had suggested that there was no trouble in paradise when he said that Sidhu remained a part of the party’s plans.
Sidhu is still in the BJP. Therefore, the question of his return to the party does not arise. He is still in the BJP, and he has not resigned from the membership of BJP.Vijay Sampla
Here’s a recap of how Sidhu’s relationship with the BJP turned sour:
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