Navjot Kaur Sidhu says 'she won’t support thieves in Congress; claims 70 pc of party leaders with her
PTC Web Desk: Suspended Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Tuesday declared that she is engaged in discussions with the party’s central leadership but will not return unless, what she calls, the “saboteurs” within the party are shown the door. Speaking to mediapersons in Patiala, she said her loyalty to the Congress remains intact, but she refuses to align with individuals she accused of weakening the organisation.
“I am talking to the High Command, but I have one clear condition: I will not stand with thieves,” she said. According to her, a handful of leaders are “derailing the Congress” and must be removed if the party wants to regain power in Punjab. “If those four or five persons are sidelined, only then will I consider the next step,” she added.
Navjor Kaur Sidhu alleged that her recent comments were misrepresented after her meeting with the Governor. She claimed that influential people owning nearly 10,000 acres in the Shivalik hills, who she believes are attempting to get this land regularised with the help of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, were unsettled by her statements. She asserted that she would continue to oppose any such move.
Navjot Kaur said she had initially intended to raise these land-related concerns with Rahul Gandhi, but before that meeting could take place, she received an appointment from the Governor. She maintained that her remarks about “individuals with property worth crores in the Shivalik belt” created discomfort among many.
“I wanted Rahul Gandhi to take up the issue because it concerns Punjab’s future. I hoped he would emerge as the hero. But he was misguided by those around him, causing delays,” she alleged.
On the legal notice sent to her by MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, she brushed it aside, accusing him of failing in his own political responsibilities. She further alleged that Randhawa sold party tickets worth crores in Rajasthan and claimed she has already submitted evidence to the High Command.
Reiterating that she has merely spoken the truth, Navjot Kaur Sidhu said, “If the party values honest voices from the grassroots, they will understand my stand.”
She also claimed that she enjoys strong backing within the organisation, stating that around 70% of Congress leaders support her, although she refrained from naming them.
Her suspension came shortly after she publicly levelled allegations against Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and days after her remark about needing “Rs 500 crore to become Chief Minister” sparked political controversy. She defended herself, asserting that the media twisted her statement. “I never said anyone asked me for money. The question was why I was not in the race for CM, and I replied that you need Rs 500 crore to become one,” she clarified.
She added that investigative agencies like the Income Tax Department or Enforcement Directorate were welcome to probe her or her husband Navjot Singh Sidhu. “We have nothing to hide,” she said.
Maintaining that she remains in touch with the party’s central leadership despite her suspension, Navjot Kaur Sidhu reiterated her uncompromising stance: “We will not support those destroying the Congress.”
- With inputs from agencies
