Rahul Gandhi and Navjot Singh Sidhu are alike, want to be PM, CM before performing: Punjab CM Mann
CHANDIGARH: Taking a dig at his political rivals, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday remarked that both senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu are alike as they want to be elected Prime Minister and Chief Minister respectively without first doing something for the people. Addressing a press conference here, Mann said, They have the same problem, both want to become Prime Minister and Chief Minister before performing. Rahul Gandhi says make me Prime Minister, I will do something for the people. But people ask him, first do something, then we will make you the Prime Minister. It is the same with Navjot Sidhu. He says make me the CM, I will do something for Punjab. People ask him to do something for Punjab, then they will make him the chief minister. Without naming Sidhu, CM Mann asked, One of them is saying he should be the CM otherwise he will continue to work for television. I was also on TV, have I done a favour to Punjab by quitting? Mann went on to say that when Sidhu was a minister in the Congress government in Punjab, he could have done something for the welfare of the people if he had undertaken the responsibilities of his department. As local bodies minister, Sidhu could have addressed issues such as cleanliness, sewerage, street lighting and road conditions in cities and could have changed the face of cities, he said. Later, Sidhu was given charge of the power department. He accused the then CM Amarinder Singh of not allowing him to work. He should have prepared a proposal to give 600 units of free electricity to the public the way we did it, said Mann and added had then CM Amarinder rejected it, Sidhu could have projected himself as someone who wanted to provide free power. If Amarinder accepted it, Sidhu would have been a hero. If he rejected it, Sidhu would still have been a hero. It was a win-win situation, he said. Mann also referred to Amarinder's claim that Sidhu did not sign files of his department for nearly six months. Sidhu did not take responsibility of his ministry or the portfolio he was given. I have signed 12,500 files as I start signing files at 7.30 AM. These are the same officers, they bring a small truck to carry files signed by me, he said. Manns remarks came in the backdrop of the recent statement by former Congress MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who criticized the Congress leadership in Punjab. She had alleged a suitcase full of Rs 500 crore has to be given to become the chief minister in Punjab. She had said that her husband would return to active politics if the Congress declares him as the partys chief ministerial face in Punjab. She had further said they do not have money to give to any party but can transform Punjab into a golden state. She was later suspended by the Punjab Congress. Mann added that the 'Rs 500 crore' disclosure by Navjot Kaur had made everyone happy except Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. Channi was happy that he paid Rs 350 crore to become the CM, and he was able to save Rs 150 crore. The figure quoted by Navjot Kaur has made Rahul happy as he thinks the price tag has gone up. Warring, Randhawa and Bajwa are now unhappy as they feel the price has gone up and they have to find a way to try a shot, he added. Sidhu has not been active in the Congress for long and did not campaign in last years Lok Sabha elections. He made a comeback to cricket commentary during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season and launched his YouTube channel in April to share insights on cricket, lifestyle and other topics.
13 C
