Navjot Sidhu holds show of support, takes MLAs to Golden Temple in luxury bus
By noon, at least 40 lawmakers had turned up at Sidhu's house. The MLAs supporting Sidhu were ferried to the Golden Temple in Amritsar in luxury buses.
Taking on his new role with fervour, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday called party lawmakers at his residence in Amritsar in a symbolic show of support. The former cricketer-turned-politician's aides said that more than 60 MLAs will reach his residence to support him.
In early visuals emerging from Punjab Congress chief's Amritsar house, party MLAs were seen filling Sidhu's residence. By noon, at least 40 lawmakers had turned up at Sidhu's house. The MLAs supporting Sidhu were ferried to the Golden Temple in Amritsar in luxury buses.
Sidhu assumed the charge of the Punjab unit chief on Sunday.
As he made his way to constituency Amritsar, Sidhu on Tuesday returned to a hero’s welcome with the party rank and file lining up with garlands, banners, flags and bouquets at Golden Gate, the main entrance to Amritsar from National Highway 1. The thick crowd waiting to welcome him swelled even as it rained in the area.
Amritsar has sent Sidhu to Parliament thrice and he is the Amritsar East MLA at present.
As people queued up to catch a glimpse of Sidhu on the highway, Sidhu came out of the sunroof of his car and celebrated the rousing welcome. He was honoured with siropas (robes of honour), momentos and garlands en route his residence in Amritsar. Sidhu also visited Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh, to pay tributes to the freedom fighter at his memorial here.
Meanwhile, the rift between Sidhu and Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has widened as the reports of meeting between the two leaders were rejected by the CM's media advisor Raveen Thukral.
"Reports of Navjot Singh Sidhu seeking time to meet Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh are totally false. No time has been sought. No change in the stance. The Chief Minister will not meet Sidhu till he publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him," said Singh's media advisor in a tweet yesterday.
Underlining the Punjab model, Sidhu on Tuesday said will make the state prosperous again.
"An 18-point programme given by the Congress high command will make every Punjabi a shareholder and the power given by the people be returned in the shape of development," he said.
Sidhu said he stressed on awakening the spirit of truth and rights among each Punjabi.
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