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Congress expels Navjot Kaur Sidhu from party, she hits back by calling Rahul Gandhi ‘Pappu’

The Congress on December 8, 2025 had suspended Kaur from primary membership after she sparked a political row claiming that “one who gives a suitcase of Rs 500 crore”, becomes the grand old party's chief minister face.

Congress expels Navjot Kaur Sidhu from partyNavjot Kaur hit out at Rahul Gandhi saying he was a “leader who thinks that he is the only honest and knowledgeable person,” but is “totally unaware of the ground realities”.(Express Archive)
5 min readChandigarhFeb 7, 2026 04:23 AM IST First published on: Feb 6, 2026 at 07:01 PM IST

AICC general secretary Bhupesh Baghel Friday said that Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, has been expelled from the party. The announcement comes seven days after the former MLA claimed that she had resigned from the Congress.

Reacting sharply to Baghel’s announcement, Kaur, in an apparent dig at senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, said “Pappu has finally put a stamp on his name”. His detractors often use the moniker ‘pappu’ to take swipe at Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

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When asked if Kaur was still a part of Congress, Bhagel said, “She had been suspended earlier but now she has been expelled”.

The former Chhattisgarh chief minister was addressing the media alongside Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring at the residence of former Congress MLA Rajkumar Verka in Amritsar.

The Congress on December 8, 2025 had suspended Kaur from primary membership after she sparked a political row claiming that “one who gives a suitcase of Rs 500 crore”, becomes the grand old party’s chief minister face. In a social media post on January 31, she said she has resigned from the Congress.

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Again taking to social media, soon after the announcement by Baghel, Kaur hit out at Gandhi saying he was a “leader who thinks that he is the only honest and knowledgeable person,” but is “totally unaware of the ground realities”.

She added that people working for Gandhi in his inner circle have succeed in keeping “him in exile and enjoying luxuries of life”. She alleged that they “sell tickets long before he takes any decision”.

“He takes more than six months to react to an emergency call by which time the loss is inevitable. Before asking people to join him, he should check out with his so called supporters whether they are ready to be honest? Are they willing to be honest and work for Punjab,” she asked.

She went on to add that not many of Gandhi’s followers are willing for selfless service. “Rather they are busy filling their pockets because they know that they are not going to come back (in power)”.

“If you have guts ask them to speak against the present government and be ready for…getting their files exposed,” she added.

In another post on X, she said that BJP had recognised her talent and through their surveys offered her a MLA ticket in 2012 while she was working as a doctor and made her a chief parliamentary secretary.

“I had the privilege and liberty to speak truth and work with integrity and honesty. I could walk into any department to get my work done and come back the same day. Rahul Gandhi ji , you have no time or ears to listen to ground realities because you prefer to live in a self created paradise,” she said.

She also sought to put to rest the speculation that she may join the BJP. “Most of your so called followers have visited BJP offices. Neither have I till date met any one or any one else has approached me. My time is only for the people of Punjab and I can work for them without politics,” she said.

Her husband has maintained a studied silence on his wife’s outbursts against Congress senior leaders including Warring and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

Kaur was elected as an MLA from Amritsar East in 2012 on a BJP ticket. She had remained the chief parliamentary secretary in SAD-BJP coalition government.

She gained a reputation for her hands-on approach, including involvement in midnight raids on medical centres to expose irregularities and scams in Punjab’s healthcare system. In April 2016, she resigned from the BJP amid differences with party leadership and the state government.

She later joined the Congress along with her husband. In 2017, her husband contested and won from Amritsar East seat. In 2018, she was appointed director and chairperson of the Punjab Warehousing Corporation under the Congress-led government headed by Captain Amarinder Singh.

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