Navjot Singh Sidhu once again demands replacement of Punjab's AG, DGP

Chandigarh/New Delhi: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday once again demanded replacement of Punjab's advocate general and director general of police.

'Demand for Justice in Sacrilege cases and for arrest of main culprits behind the drug trade brought our Govt in 2017 & Due to his failure, People removed the last CM. Now, AG / DG appointments rub salt on wounds of victims, they must be replaced or we will have No face !!,' Sidhu said in a tweet.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had tendered his resignation as the Punjab Congress chief recently, on Saturday said he would stand by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi whether he has a post of not.

In a cryptic statement made on Twitter, Sidhu said, "Will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji and Shastri Ji… Post or No Post will stand by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi".

"Let all negative forces try to defeat me, but with every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) win and every Punjabi win!!" he said.

Sidhu had tendered his resignation from the post of Punjab Congress chief on September 28, but it has not been accepted by the Congress high command yet.

On September 29, Navjot Singh Sidhu launched an indirect attack on Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi by raising questions over selection of ministers and bureaucrats in the state.

A day after tendering his resignation as Punjab Congress president, Sidhu released a video message saying he was fighting a "battle of truth". "My 17 years of political journey has a purpose, to make a difference and to take a stand in politics. This is my duty. I am not fighting any personal battle. My battle is for people, and I stand by it," he said in an over four-minute video clip shared on his Twitter handle.

Questioning the appointment of ministers and officials by Channi, Sidhu, without naming the Chief Minister, said those very officers and the system that was responsible for all the misery in Punjab were back and he was against it.

“Where have our promises gone? I will continue to fight against the wrong,” he said in Punjabi.

He also said those who had given 'clean chit to the Badals six years back" had been appointed by the Channi government.

"There was a system of tainted leaders, officers, now you cannot repeat the same system again. I will stand by my principles," the state Congress leader said.

According to sources, Sidhu had objected to the induction of MLA Rana Gurjit Singh and some other ministers.

Sidhu has also opposed the appointment of APS Deol as Punjab's Advocate General, and the promotion of Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, who has been given the additional charge of the director general of Punjab police.

Deol and Sahota have both been linked with the Behbal Kalan firing case of 2015. The incident involved police using force against people protesting against desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, and had resorted to firing. Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal was the chief minister of the state at the time. (UNI)