Suspended from the Congress for her anti-party remarks, former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu said on Tuesday that she is currently in talks with the party high command. Stating that she would not support “thieves”, Navjot said she can work with the Congress only if “those who are ruining the party are sidelined”.
Addressing the media in Patiala, she said: “I am in talks with the high command, but I have one condition: I will not support thieves. If we want to form a government, there are four or five people destroying the Congress. If they are removed, I will think about it.”
Navjot said her statements were distorted by the media after her meeting with the Governor. She said that certain people who own nearly 10,000 acres of land in the Shivalik Range, and are now reportedly seeking to legalise this land with the help of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, felt threatened by her remarks.
The former Congress MLA said she intended to raise these issues through Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, but before she could do so, she got an appointment to meet the Governor. “Many felt uncomfortable when I highlighted concerns about a few people who own property worth crores in the Shivalik Range. I expected Rahul Gandhi to address these issues, but he was misguided by people around him, which led to delays. Until then, I had got the Governor’s appointment. I wanted Rahul Gandhi to present this matter because it concerns Punjab’s future,” she said.
Talking about the legal notice issued to her by MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Navjot said, “He could not even ensure his wife’s victory. He used to openly sell tickets for crores of rupees in Rajasthan. I have sent evidence to the Congress high command in this regard. If the high command needs people who speak honestly, they will understand.”
The former MLA said the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) supported her and claimed that 70 per cent of the Congress leaders were with her.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring had suspended Navjot after her remark that a briefcase with Rs 500-crore cash is required to become the CM. Reacting to her suspension, she said, “This notice has been issued by a state president who has no legitimacy. Many such notices are issued. If we want to form a government, remove those who are destroying the party.”
Navjot said she never claimed anyone asked her for money. “The question was why I was not becoming CM when all of Punjab wanted it. I explained that to become CM, you need Rs 500 crore. I also clarified that no one had ever asked us for money.”
Sidhu said agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department may investigate her husband Navjot Singh Sidhu if they want to. “We have nothing to hide. We are open,” she added.
Also read: Ex-MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu alleges ₹2 crore fraud
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