Sidhu gets cold shoulder, not included in Channi delegation to Pakistan

Ajay Jha | NT

New Delhi: The central government’s decision to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib corridor has plunged Punjab’s ruling Congress party into an unsavoury row. Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi did not include the party’s state unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu in his official 50-member delegation that visited the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara located inside Pakistan.

There was no explanation yet on why Channi opted to leave Sidhu behind, except that he would visit Darbar Sahib on Saturday, a day after the Guru Nanak Jayanti. Sidhu had submitted all related documents to the state authorities on Tuesday, the day the Narendra Modi government at the centre announced the reopening of the corridor that connects the Indian side of Punjab with Kartar Sahib located 4.7 km inside Pakistan. It is connected by an expressway to enable Indian pilgrims to travel to the historic Gurdwara without a visa.

Sources close to Sidhu said they were informed that the Punjab Congress president would not be travelling with the chief minister, although many ministers and Congress lawmakers would be part of the jatha (delegation) on Wednesday, without giving any reason. The Sidhu camp indirectly blamed the Punjab government for his cold shoulder saying the federal home ministry which whets names of all those wishing to use the corridor and issues permission had no objection to Sidhu travelling on Thursday.

Sidhu had played a key role in the removal of Capt. Amarinder Singh as Punjab chief minister and Channi being named his successor on September 20. However, relations between the two leaders became frosty when Sidhu tendered his resignation as the state unit president in protest against the appointment of the Advocate General and the DGP by the Channi government despite Sidhu having reservations against them. Sidhu withdrew his resignation only after Advocate General APS Deol resigned.

A bitter Sidhu, however, continues to take potshots at Channi, which political observers say is with an eye on the post-poll scenario. Punjab is among the five states slated to go to the polls in the first quarter of 2022. While opening the front against Amarinder Singh, leading to his unceremonious ouster, Sidhu cherished the ambition of becoming the chief minister. The central leadership of the Congress party, however, opted to settle for a Dalit Sikh in Channi to attract nearly 31 per cent Dalit voters.

Sidhu is still hopeful that Channi is a stopgap arrangement and in the event of the Congress party winning the Punjab polls, he would become the next chief minister. Channi would be the only stumbling block in Sidhu’s dream.

The continued upheaval in Punjab Congress that might come in the Congress party’s quest to retain power, is largely attributed to Sidhu’s desire to create an image that he is the true champion of Punjab’s cause and does not mind going against even his party’s government.

Channi, however, is not happy with Sidhu’s activities which was reflected in Sidhu getting cold shoulder. Channi in the process has given enough ammunition to Sidhu to gun for him in the near future.