FIRE BREAKS OUT AT FACTORY NEAR SILVASSA
SILVASSA: A fire broke out at a chemical factory in Masat Industrial Estate near here on Sunday night, officials said. The fire, which broke out at around 10.00 pm, is not yet under control, said Assistant Divisional Fire Officer, Silvassa, A K Vala. No casualty has been reported so far, he said. The fire spread quickly in the factory, causing chemical drums to blast, officials said. “While several fire tenders are working to control it, we have called for tenders from Daman and Vapi,” said Vala. CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday attacked his cabinet colleague, Navjot Singh Sidhu, over his “ill-timed comments” and said the latter probably wants to replace him.
He sought action against Sidhu saying his comments against him and Punjab’s Congress leadership damaged the party. Singh blamed Sidhu for harming the Congress with his “irresponsible actions”.
“There is no war of words with Sidhu. If he [Sidhu] is ambitious, it is fine. People have ambitions. 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,” said Singh. Singh said it was for the Congress leadership to decide what action should be taken. “The Congress, as a party, does not tolerate indiscipline.”
Singh’s criticism of Sidhu, who was among Congress’s star campaigners, came as polling was being held for Punjab’s all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the last phase of the national polls on Sunday.
Singh hit out at Sidhu two days after the latter raised the issue of a series of desecration of Sikh scriptures in 2015. Sidhu had claimed that some leaders were playing a “friendly match” with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that was in power when the sacrilege incidents were reported.
Sidhu had questioned why no First Information Report was lodged against then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and deputy, Sukhbir Singh Badal, in connection with the police firing on protest marches that were taken against the sacrilege.
Sidhu had threatened to resign if the action was not taken against those behind the 2015 desecrations. He had earlier on Thursday echoed his wife Navjot Kaur’s allegation that Singh and Congress’s Punjab affairs in-charge, Asha Kumari, ensured she was
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
denied Lok Sabha ticket from Chandigarh. Singh said Sidhu should have chosen a better time to express his grievances instead of doing so ahead of voting in Punjab on Sunday if he is a real Congressman. He added it was not Sidhu’s election but that of the entire Congress.
In Amritsar, Sidhu insisted he had said nothing against Singh. “Do not put words into my mouth that I have said something against the chief minister,’’ he said. “I have asked the public, the voters... they should punish those who are in collusion and backstabbed Congress. I have asked the voters to punish those the guilty of sacrilege.”
After Singh’s attack, Punjab’s cabinet ministers Brahm Mohin
Do not put words into my mouth that I have said something against the CM. I have asked the voters... they should punish those who... backstabbed Congress. NAVJOT SINGH SIDHU, Punjab minister
dra and Sukjinder Randhawa called the chief minister Punjab’s undisputed leader and demanded action against Sidhu. The Congress’s Punjab unit has approached the party’s high command to take action against Sidhu for “friendly match” remark, according to the party functionaries aware of the development.
Sidhu denied having made the remark when the Congress’s top leadership spoke to him about it, the functionaries added. Singh even sent the audio and video evidence to the Congress high command, they said.
The functionaries said the ministers were likely to take up the issue with Sidhu at the next cabinet meeting.
Mohindra said there can be no replacement for Singh. “Punjab voted for the Congress under him. We are with him,’’ said Mohindra in a statement. “Sidhu is sabotaging the party’s interests by his baseless statements against the chief minister.”
Randhawa said Sidhu left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rajya Sabha over ticket denial and personal reasons and not because of Punjab. “Sidhu never said he is leaving the BJP over the sacrilege. Even his wife, Navjot Kaur, who was an MLA in 2015, did not utter a single word on the sacrilege issue in the assembly.”