Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, is among Congress' stalwart leaders and would be a key candidate of the grand old party in the forthcoming Punjab Assembly Elections 2022. He was born on October 20, 1963. Navjot Sidhu will be contesting election from Amritsar (East) constituency. Polling in Punjab will be held in one single phase on February 20. Navjot Singh Sidhu has been a professional cricketer and part of the Indian cricket team who retired from international cricket in 1999. Navjot Sidhu began his political innings with BJP and won the Lok Sabha election from the Amritsar seat in 2004. With many ups and downs during his tenure with BJP, Sidhu joined Congress in 2017 and since then has been part of the party. For over two years now, Sidhu has remained part of various controversies and in-party fighting. First, Sidhu was widely criticised for hugging Pakistan army chief and Imran Khan during the inauguration ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor while post that Sidhu has remained surrounded with in-party fighting in the Punjab unit of Congress. Sidhu upped the ante against former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in the quest to push himself for the top job in the state. Though, the Congress party did not elevate him as Chief Minister of state but made him the President of PPCC. In the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab, Sidhu who is being constantly attacked by several party leaders from Amarinder Singh's camp is expected to face a tough contest, both from within the party and opposition. Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at several public platforms has challenged Sidhu saying that he will not let Sidhu become the next chief minister of Punjab as the latter is a threat to national security due to his closeness with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and its Army Chief.
Read MoreGambhir said Sidhu does not comment on the killing of 40 civilians and soldiers in Kashmir in the last 1 month and goes against the people who want to protect India.
The AAP leader referred to remarks of Sidhu made during a visit to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan in which he had termed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as "elder brother".
A purported video of Sidhu being welcomed by a Pakistani official on behalf of Khan has gone viral in which the Congress leader is heard saying Khan was like a "bada bhai" to him and that he loved him a lot.
The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened on Wednesday.
Navjot Singh Sidhu said the minimum support price (MSP) is the bigger issue than farm laws as it is the lifeline of farmers.
Hundreds of farmers have been camping at the three Delhi's borders since November 2020 with the demand that the government repeal the all three farm laws.
According to sources, CM Charanjit Singh Channi along with close cabinet colleagues and their families went to Kartarpur after reopening on November 17 but did not include Navjot Singh Sindhu in the list of 50 people given to MHA.
The over four-km long Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district.
On Wednesday night, Sidhu's media adviser Surinder Dalla claimed that Sidhu has been officially intimated that he could go on November 20 instead of November 18.
Interestingly, Pakistan is highlighting Sidhu's role in the Kartarpur corridor issue at a time when the Indian government has decided to reopen the corridor.
The Punjab Congress chief further said borrowing was not the way forward adding that the half of the state's expenditure was funded by expensive debt.
Captain Amarinder Singh quit the Congress on November 2 and accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of hatching a "midnight conspiracy" to oust him from the state government.
In view of the heavy uproar, the audio of the House was muted.
Sidhu also asked why a special leave petition (SLP) has not been filed against the blanket bail given to former director-general of police Sumedh Singh Saini, one of the accused in the firing incident.
Randhawa in a statement said the former Chief Minister, who also held the Home Portfolio, had then ordered the reinstatement of the police officer while withholding just one increment despite the then Additional Chief Secretary, Home, not writing in favour of the officer.
The advocate general had on Saturday accused Sidhu of obstructing the functioning of the state government and his office, and "spreading misinformation to gain political advantage".
Charanjit Singh Channi pledged a solution to all the issues including sacrilege and drugs in Punjab. The chief minister said that he could be poor but he is not weak.
"Navjot Singh Sidhu is obstructing the functioning of the government and the office of AG," the Punjab Advocate General said.
Addressing a press conference, Sidhu stated that he would resume his duties as the Chief of Punjab Congress unit when the new advocate general is appointed.
In his resignation letter, Singh has expressed concern over Congress's decision to appoint Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Congress President and has written to Sonia Gandhi that one day the Congress high command will have to regret its decision.
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