New Delhi: Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday said that the state must concentrate on real issues that concern every Punjabi and future generations.
He asserted that Congress has a clear choice between "irreparable damage and the last chance for damage control".
Sidhu's comments come amid the ongoing war of words between several Punjab Congress leaders and former chief minister Amarinder Singh over the latter's friendship with Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam.
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"Punjab must come back to its real issues that concern every Punjabi and our future generations.... How will we counter the financial emergency that stares upon us? I will stick to the real issues and not let them take a back seat!" Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Sidhu tweeted, asserting that he will not let the real issues take a back seat.
"The choice is clear between irreparable damage and the last chance for damage control.... Who will bring back state's resources to the state's coffers, instead of them going to private pockets?? Who will lead the initiative for resurrection our great state to prosperity," he added.
In a recent meeting with Congress senior leaders KC Venugopal and Harish Rawat in Delhi, Navjot Sidhu raised his concerns over the 18-point agenda taken up by the leadership on which actions are pending. The issues include the sacrilege case and the drugs mafia matter.
On October 15, the Punjab Congress President had written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi flagging issues which the government "must deliver upon" and said that it was the poll-bound state's "last chance for resurrection and redemption".
The issues raised by him in his letter included illegal sand mining and transport, stressed that those be resolved at the earliest.
He pitched for a "Punjab Model with a 13-Point Agenda to be part of the Congress manifesto for the 2022 Assembly Elections".
"Let the mist clear, reality shine like the sun upon the roadmap for revival of Punjab, shunning those who protect the selfish vested interests and focus only on the path that will lead to Jittega Punjab, Jittegi Punjabiyat and Jittega Har Punjabi (Punjab, Punjabiyat and Punjabis will triumph)!" he tweeted on Sunday.
After resigning as Punjab Congress chief, Sidhu had on October 15 stated that his concerns have been resolved while the party asserted that he will continue as the head of the state unit. The resolution came after Navjot Sidhu met party leader Rahul Gandhi and raised his concerns.
Punjab goes to assembly election early next year and the Congress is eyeing to retain power in the state.
Meanwhile, in another important development, Congress on Friday appointed Harish Chaudhary as Punjab in-charge, which has reportedly not gone down well with the camp which is anti-Sidhu in the state, as Chaudhary was instrumental in the removal of Amarinder Singh and is said to be close to Rahul Gandhi.
Harish Chaudhary has a tough task to manage the disgruntled groups in the party and also coordinate with Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
According to a report by IANS, both do not share a good rapport while Sidhu has been attacking the Chief Minister as he has been upset with the choice of cabinet and the appointments in the state's various bodies.