Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 29 June, denied having a meeting scheduled with Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, a day after Sidhu's office claimed that he will meet senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi on Tuesday.
This comes amid an ongoing tussle within the Punjab party unit.
From accusing a ‘system’ run by two families of ignoring Punjab’s welfare for their own business interests to stating that he isn’t a showpiece to be shelved after a good show in the elections, former Punjab minister and television commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu’s recent interviews to multiple news outlets show how the Amritsar-based leader continues to remain disgruntled with the state leadership.
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.
On Friday, 25 June, the former Congress president held one-on-one meetings with ministers Brahm Mohindra, Vijay Inder Singla, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Rajya Sabha member Shamsher Singh Dullo, and MLA Lakhvir Singh Lakha. Earlier, Gandhi had also met state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa.
Tensions have intensified in the Congress’ Punjab unit over the past few weeks, as Sidhu has continued to censure Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, alleging that his colleagues were being threatened for raising questions on the state government’s handling of the ‘sacrilege’ case and for speaking the truth on the matter.
Congress leader Navjot Sidhu on 1 June, met the three-member committee appointed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to look into the party’s internal feud and said that he has conveyed the voice of the people at the grassroots level to the high command.
(With inputs from PTI)
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