‘I failed in preliminary round only’: After Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s CM face remark, Sunil Jakhar targets Congress

Jakhar has earlier alleged on multiple occasions that Congress leader Ambika Soni had objected to a Hindu being made the chief minister of Punjab. Explaining his “preliminary round” remark, he indicated that Navjot Singh Sidhu clears the religious criterion as he is a Sikh.

Meanwhile, Navjot Kaur Sidhu Saturday met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to discuss issues, including the state’s law and order. After the meeting, she told reporters that the couple had no money to offer any party but could deliver results for Punjab.

She said, “We always speak for Punjab and Punjabiyat..we don’t have Rs 500 crore to give just to sit in the chief minister’s chair. If any party gives him (Navjot Singh Sidhu) power to improve Punjab, we will give results and turn the state into a golden Punjab.”

She also claimed that while no one had directly demanded money from them, it seems that “whoever gives a Rs 500 crore suitcase becomes Chief Minister.”

Responding to this statement, Jakhar said, “Yes, I did hear this statement of Rs 500 crore of Navjot Kaur Sidhu but what I heard was from the horse’s mouth (in the Congress) that someone got the CM’s post for Rs 350 crore.”

He added, “Where has Congress reached due to all this. I don’t have any audio proof of Rs 350 crore or Rs 500 crore; maybe Navjot Kaur Sidhu has. But I still have the old tweet of former Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa saying that Congress has made ‘ Daaku’ (robbers) sit here. Those Daakus are still sitting here. They are still holding the position of power within the Congress.”

Targeting Congress leadership further, Jakhar said, “Apart from this, the ones who take the test that this person can’t be CM of the state, that ‘ Bibaji’ (Ambika Soni) is also sitting here. The ones who took 350 crore or 500 crore. They are also sitting here in the Congress.”

In the past, Jakhar reiterated that despite having the support of around 40–42 MLAs in the Congress Legislature Party in 2021, he was denied the chief minister’s post because of his religion. In May 2022, he joined the BJP and was appointed president of the Punjab BJP in July 2023.

Jakhar attacks AAP govt, Punjab Police

Jakhar also launched a fierce attack on the AAP government and the Punjab Police. He said, “Only the BJP has the strong will and capability to rein in the ‘black sheep’ within the police. If given the opportunity, such uniformed extortionists would be strictly dealt with, and peace would be restored in the state.”

Recalling an incident from Tarn Taran, he said that on November 7, Arvind Kejriwal had warned gangsters to leave Punjab within seven days. “But instead of leaving, gangsters have openly accepted his challenge and are committing crimes every single day — while Kejriwal himself has not been seen in Punjab since then.”

Sharing a list of recent shootings, robberies and ransom cases, Jakhar said that hardly a day passes without a shocking crime. He questioned how such incidents continue despite Punjab having 17 DGP-rank and 13 ADGP-rank officers, compared to Haryana’s one DGP.

Jakhar further alleged that, following the failure of the land pooling policy, the police have been deployed to engage in illegal extortion. Referring to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s jail interview, he said the DGP had claimed in court that it did not take place in Punjab, but a High Court-supervised probe proved otherwise.

He also said that a central agency recently caught a Punjab Police officer (DIG Harcharn Singh Bhullar) in a money extortion case and assured that the BJP would firmly discipline such elements if voted to power.

AAP’s state spokesperson Neel Garg reacting to the controversy said, “If claims are being made that the Chief Minister’s chair in the Congress is being sold for ₹350–500 crore, this is not politics — it is an open auction of corruption.”

The Indian Express tried contacting Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring but was unable to reach him.