Sidhu wants to replace me, he’s damaging Congress: Amarinder
PATIALA: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said his cabinet colleague and Congress’ star campaigner Navjot Singh Sidhu wants to replace him and he has asked the party high command to take action against his minister.
Talking to the media after casting his vote along with wife and Congress candidate Preneet Kaur in Patiala, the CM said, “Sidhu’s ill-timed comments against me and the Punjab Congress leadership have damaged the party. He is harming the Congress with his irresponsible comments.”
“If he is ambitious, it’s fine. People have ambitions. I know him since childhood. I have no difference of opinion with him. If he is a real Congressman, he should have chosen a better time to air his grievances and not do it right before polling in Punjab,”
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I know him [Sidhu] since childhood. I have no difference of opinion with him. He probably wants to become chief minister and replace me. That is his business. AMARINDER SINGH,
Punjab chief minister
Amarinder said in response to a question on Sidhu’s claim of a “friendly match” with the Akali Dal at a rally in Bathinda.
BATHINDA: Voting at a polling station in Talwandi Sabo was affected for more than oneand-a-half hours due to a firing incident in which two Akali workers were injured.
Congress district president (rural) Khushbaz Singh Jatana was booked for firing at least six rounds at Akali workers near a polling station. He was booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC, Arms Act and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Two Akali workers Billu Singh and Gursharan Singh were injured in the firing.
Congress’s Bathinda candidate Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said Jatana opened fire in self-defence. “On learning that Akalis were trying to bribe voters, our team rushed to the spot where a group of SAD workers attacked them and he fired in self defence,” said Warring.
No arrest was made till the filing of the report late evening. Police said it was a matter of investigation how Jatana carried a weapon when all firearms needed to be deposited with the police.
In another incident, vehicle of Akali leader Sikandar Maluka was damaged by a mob at Kangar village near Rampura Phul, which is part of Faridkot parliamentary segment.
Two Akali workers Paramjit Singh and Sabarjit Singh were hurt in the clash. An Akali leader, Sukhman Sandhu, was accused of opening fire at Lal Singh Basti locality in Bathinda, in which one person was injured. A Congressman was thrashed at a village in Ferozepur. In Ferozepur, Angrej Singh, a Congress leader, was attacked with sharp weapons allegedly by some Akali supporters and his car was also damaged.