Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal traded barbs on Wednesday, 30 June, when the latter called Sidhu a "misguided missile that is not under control", to which Sidhu retorted, “Guided and aimed at you to destroy your corrupt businesses.”
Badal was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, “Navjot Singh Sidhu is a misguided missile that is not under control and can hit in any direction, including himself. Today, Punjab doesn't need a person who does acting, but one who thinks about the development of the state."
Sidhu replied to the comment tweeting, “Guided and aimed at you to destroy your corrupt businesses ... Until your Sukh Vilas built on Punjab's ruins is not turned into a public school and public hospital to serve Punjab's poor, I won't relent!!”
The discord developed apparently after Sidhu slammed Badal over his comments on the 2015 sacrilege case, wherein the police had reportedly taken strict action and fired at civilians protesting the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib – a religious text of Sikhs – at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura of Faridkot.
Badal’s comments came last week after he was questioned by a newly formed SIT.
Badal, who was the deputy chief minister and the home minister in the Akali Dal-BJP government that was in power at the time, accused current Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh of implicating Akali Dal leadership in false cases.
Meanwhile, amid the infighting in the Punjab Congress unit, Sidhu took the opportunity to hit out at both Badal and Amarinder Singh.
He said in a tweet, “Six years since sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.... No Justice in two years of your rule. No justice in the following 4.5 years... Today, new SIT inches closer to justice for Punjab's soul and you cry of political interference... Political interference was that which delayed Justice by six years. (sic)"
Since Sidhu’s role was allegedly downgraded in 2019, which led him to quit the Punjab cabinet, he has been involved in a lengthy tussle with Amarinder Singh ahead of the 2022 election.
Saying that the Amarinder Singh government did not do enough to ensure justice, Sidhu is among a handful of state Congress leaders who have revolted against Singh's leadership.
Sidhu, on 30 June, met party General-Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at her residence in Delhi. Following the meeting with Sidhu, Priyanka reportedly went to visit the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi.
Siddhu’s meeting with Priyanka came a day after Rahul Gandhi denied having a meeting scheduled with him.
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi has been meeting party leaders from Punjab to review the political situation in the state in order to take steps to strengthen the party.
(With inputs from ANI)
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