Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was on Saturday released from Patiala's central jail after spending about 10 months in prison. Soon after his release, the Congress leader stated that a conspiracy is being hatched to bring President's rule in Punjab and that there is no such thing as democracy at the moment.
"There is no such thing as democracy right now. Conspiracy to bring President’s Rule in Punjab. Minorities being targeted. If you try to weaken Punjab, you will become weak:" Sidhu was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
Sidhu stated that he expected to be released by noon and that the jail authorities wanted the media to leave. He further said that former Congress chief, and recently disqualified MP, Rahul Gandhi will rattle the government and bring an end to the current dictatorship.
"Whenever a dictatorship came to this country a revolution has also come and this time, the name of that revolution is Rahul Gandhi. He will rattle the govt," he said.
The former Punjab Congress president was jailed on May 20 last year, sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court over the death of 65-year-old Gurnam Singh in a road rage case in 1988.
According to news agency PTI, several Congress leaders and supporters chanted 'Navjot Sidhu zindabad' as they assembled outside the prison to accord the 59-year-old former cricketer a grand welcome upon his release.
'Dhol' players were arranged by his supporters outside the jail to welcome the cricketer-turned-politician.
Speaking to reporters at his residence on Saturday, Sidhu's son Karan Sidhu said it had been a tough time for the family but now they were happy to see him coming out of jail.
The release is happening earlier due to Navjot Sidhu's good conduct during imprisonment, as allowed under the rules, his lawyer told PTI.
Navjot Singh Sidhu's family has got an intimation from authorities regarding his release from the Patiala jail, his lawyer HPS Varma said on Friday.
Varma said that "a convict with good behaviour is entitled for general remission of one day (Sunday) a week and it translates into 45 days of remission on March 31".
He had also remained in jail for three days in 2007 in the same case. With this, he was eligible for release on April 1, the lawyer mentioned.
Congress leader and former MLA Navtej Singh Cheema said they will take Navjot Sidhu from the jail to his residence in Patiala after he is released. Leader of Opposition in the assembly Partap Singh Bajwa and party leader Laal Singh on Friday met Navjot Sidhu in the jail, he mentioned, as per PTI.
Earlier, Sidhu's Twitter account on Friday informed about the release: "This is to inform everyone that Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu will be released from Patiala Jail tomorrow. (As informed by the concerned authorities)."
Navjot Sidhu's account is being managed by his team in his absence.
Navjot Sidhu's wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with stage two invasive cancer. She put out an emotional tweet on Friday saying, "Navjot's love for Punjab had driven him beyond the realm of any attachment".
The cricketer-turned-politician's release is bound to stir the Punjab unit of the Congress which was trounced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the February 2022 state election.
It is not clear what role Congress will give the former cricketer once he is out of jail. Ahead of the 2022 assembly election, the party leadership had declared Charanjit Singh Channi as its chief ministerial face, ignoring Navjot Sidhu, who was the then party's state president.
The party, however, failed to return to power in the state.