Punjab Congress’s Sidhu dilemma continues as the party fails to rein in former chief

On Wednesday, Sidhu held a rally in Hoshiarpur when he was supposed to attend a meeting with Yadav. On Thursday, he held a closed-door meeting with Yadav in a Chandigarh hotel. Emerging out of the meeting, Sidhu told reporters, “We are soldiers of Rahul Gandhi and (Congress national president Mallikarjun) Kharge sahib.”

Having already addressed three public meetings, Sidhu has scheduled at least two more rallies this month: on January 21 in Moga and January 24 in Kartarpur. He said his meetings were aimed at strengthening the party and that he was holding the rallies to unite and end the “system slavery and propagate the Congress’ ideology”.

“In a democracy, the people are the biggest strength and everyone must take the Congress ideology and consider the high command supreme. We will follow it… But how one will vote for you without telling them that what is to be done for Punjab? We will have to reinvent ourselves (party) and change,” Sidhu said.

Sidhu further said the Congress cannot stand back on its feet without the workers, who are the party’s foundation. Asserting that he was going to the people to strengthen the foundation, Sidhu said it was a fight of ideology for the resurrection of Punjab.

Asked whether he would continue to hold his rallies, Sidhu said his public meetings were scheduled before Yadav visited the state. “I spoke to him (Yadav) and told him that my programmes were fixed beforehand. If I had known about the meeting earlier then I would have not planned my rally,” the former Punjab Congress chief said, adding, “We are also Congress workers. Why will anybody have an objection? There could be differences within and the Congress allows that.”

Before meeting Yadav, Sidhu posted a cryptic video message on X, saying “spineless” leaders who cannot stand for what is right are now talking big. “Kaudi Kaudi bikey hue log. samjhauta karke ghutno pe tike huelog, Bargad ki baat karte hain, gamle me uge hue log,” he wrote.

The message targets people who have “sold themselves for pennies”, made compromises, and have been brought to their knees”. “People who grew up in flower pots talk about the banyan tree,” Sidhu said. Later when asked for whom his post was meant, Sidhu said the “public knows everything”.

State Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, meanwhile, said he had “no differences with anybody” and added that he “will keep on espousing discipline in the party”.

Responding to media queries, Yadav said he met Sidhu who informed him that he had some prior programmes. “We have democracy and everybody wants to strengthen the Congress party in their own way. Definitely, everybody is given space, but discipline is very important. Chaahe koyeee chhota ya bara karyakarta ho uske khilaaf karvaryee hogi (Irrespective of stature, action will be taken),” he said.

Asked if Sidhu’s rallies go against the party. Yadav said, “Whatever comes to my notice, the party leadership will be updated about it.” With reporters continuing to ask questions about Sidhu, Yadav shot back, “Are we doing the press conference on Mr Sidhu?”

The alliance question

Meanwhile, Yadav claimed he had received different views from state party leaders on the issue of an alliance with the AAP for the Lok Sabha polls. He said he would apprise the Congress high command of the Punjab leaders’ views on the issue and asserted that his party would win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Asked whether sentiments were against the alliance, Yadav refused to comment, saying this was not the platform to discuss it with the media. At the same time, Yadav said the Congress maintained that the Congress would win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. Several Punjab Congress leaders do not favour any alliance with the AAP for the Lok Sabha elections but Sidhu is among the voices in favour of it.

— With PTI inputs