AMN / Amritsar / WEB DESK
Amid a standoff between Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and newly appointed Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, the later paid obeisance at the Golden Temple along with 62 Congress MLAs on Wednesday.
Earlier as many as 62 Congress MLAs gathered at Sidhu residence here and from there they moved to the Golden Temple to pay obeisance. This was followed by their visits to the Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirath Sthal.
Apparently, Sidhu had called all Congress MLAs, but according to his aides, 62 of them turned up.
The MLAs present included Raja Warring, Raaj Kumar verka, Inderbir Bolaria, Barinder Dhillon, Madan Lal Jalapuri, Harminder Gill, Harjot Kamal, Harminder Jassi, Joginder Pal, Pargat Singh and Sukhjinder Randhawa.
Navjot Singh Sidhu and four other working presidents are set to assume charge here on Friday, an invite will be extended to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for the event.
Sidhu will be taking over from incumbent state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar.
Sidhu and Amarinder Singh have been at loggerheads for the past some time, with the Amritsar (East) MLA recently attacking the CM over the desecration cases.
The chief minister was also averse to his appointment as the state Congress chief. After Sidhu’s elevation, the CM had said that he won’t meet him until the cricketer-turned-politician apologises for his “derogatory” tweets against him.
A party leader told reporters in Amritsar on Wednesday that the chief minister will be requested to grace the event.
Sources said that an invite is set to be extended to the chief minister on behalf of the newly appointed state unit chief and four working presidents.
Incharge of Punjab affairs at the AICC, Harish Rawat, and other senior Congress leaders are expected to attend the event, sources said.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had on Sunday appointed Sidhu as the new president of the party’s Punjab unit, notwithstanding the strong opposition from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
Meanwhile as the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh not ready to pardon Navjot Singh Sidhu till he apologises for his tweets, pressure is building on the CM to unconditionally welcome the new PPCC chief.
Voices of dissent are now rising against the CM for not calling the truce. Efforts are still on to bring truce between the two leaders.
Sukhjinder Randhawa said they are for the unity of the party and would not allow anyone to split the party, be it Capt Amarinder Singh. He said he could leave any leader, be it Amarinder, for the sake of the party.
“If the CM can meet Sukhpal Khaira, who has passed personal and damaging comments against him and he can meet Partap Bajwa, what is the harm in meeting Sidhu,” Randhawa said while reminding the CM that they did not allow the party to split when Bajwa was removed as PPCC chief to make way for Amarinder.
Meanwhile, the BJP has taken a dig at this show of strength. BJP national spokseperson RP Singh on Twitter said the match had begun, with Sidhu 62 and Captain 15.