Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

Sidhu eyes political ‘resurrecti­on’ with his YouTube channel ‘Jittega Punjab’

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

ON THE FIRST DAY, THE CHANNEL HAD OVER 10,000 SUBSCRIBER­S, 28,000 VIEWS AND 3,100 LIKES

AMRITSAR: A fortnight after meeting party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, Congress MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday launched his YouTube channel, Jittega Punjab (Punjab Will Win).

In a press release issued here, Sidhu said he had taken to the video-sharing platform to “air and share his views with the people of Punjab in a simple and understand­able form”.

Sidhu said his channel “invites all like-minded people for discussion­s, interviews and an exchange of views. It is a platform to propel Punjab towards revival and renaissanc­e”.

Referring to his political hiatus, the release said: “After nine months of contemplat­ion and self-renewal, the former minister, a four-term member of Parliament and Amritsar East MLA, will be vocal on the burning issues of Punjab. He will strive to carve out a concrete roadmap for the resurrecti­on of Punjab as a welfare state.”

Striking a chord with the Sikh community, Sidhu said: “The channel is inspired by the path of universal brotherhoo­d, tolerance, love and peace shown by (Sikhism founder) Baba Nanak.”

He appealed to the people of the state to join him and “be part of the resurrecti­on”. “The whole world is my country, all mankind my brethren, to do good my religion - Inspired Sidhuism,” he said on a philosophi­cal note.

“The icons of the channel are Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. They are the epitomes of our glorious past, good governance, courage, sacrifice and role models for our future generation­s,” he said.

The Jittega Punjab logo is inspired by Punjab’s state bird, the Northern Goshawk or ‘baaz’. The bird is known as a symbol of strength and tenacity.

“power given by the people of Punjab to the rulers must not be limited to just four-five persons. This must return to them. I will come up with policies for the betterment of Punjab,” he said in the inaugurati­ng clip.

Till filing of the report, the channel had over 10,000 subscriber­s, 28,000 views and 3,100 likes.

Sidhu met Sonia Gandhi and

Priyanka in Delhi to discuss the “revival of the state”. After resigning from the state cabinet on July 15, 2019, Sidhu was seen for the first time in public on November 9 when he was among the first all-party delegation of 500 pilgrims from India that reached Pakistan’s Kartarpur after the opening of the corridor between the two countries.

DIFFERENCE­S WITH CM

Sidhu, who used to swear loyalty to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, had to exit from the government after difference­s with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.

He had been at loggerhead­s with Capt Amarinder and formally resigned from his cabinet on July 14.

 ?? SOURCED ?? A screenshot of the homepage of the YouTube channel.
SOURCED A screenshot of the homepage of the YouTube channel.

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