Chandigarh Apr 21 PTI Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday dubbed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as a rubber doll alluding to the Opposition charge that the state government is being run by the AAP leadership from Delhi He claimed that the law and order situation in Punjab has deteriorated drastically under the Mann government with 40 people killed in a month Sidhu along with former MLAs Navtej Singh Cheema and Ashwani Sekhri met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit here and raised several issues including the law and order situation in the state After the meeting the Congress leader said Does he Bhagwant Mann care about Punjab The chief minister has become a rubber da gudda rubber doll Sidhu told reporters Punjabs CM should be ankhila a self-respecting man who could not be pulled by strings Sidhu added Someone is playing the game but someone else is dancing and speaking The person who is playing the game while sitting in Delhi is the masquerader and he is getting unmasked said Sidhu in an apparent dig at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal The former Punjab Congress chief said the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated drastically under the Mann government He claimed 40 people have been killed in the state in the last month Sidhu alleged the Punjab government is using the police force to target those who raise their voice against Kejriwal You are politicising the police force to use it for your own interests he said attacking the AAP government Whether it is badlav change or badla vendetta vendetta politics has started he said Sidhus remarks came a day after the Punjab Police visited the homes of former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas and Congress Alka Lamba in connection with a case registered over inflammatory statements against Kejriwal Both leaders have been summoned for questioning on April 26 Targeting the Aam Aadmi Party Sidhu accused it of selling lies to people in order to grab power in Punjab You sold lies and dreams but you do not have resources to fulfil them said Sidhu What was the need for making tall promises he asked while pointing out that Punjabs financial position was the worst in the country He said 85 per cent of the states revenue is being spent on salaries pension and repaying debt On the electricity front the former Punjab Congress chief asked the Mann-led government how it will meet the rising demand Today the demand for power has reached 8000 MW and the government is unable to meet it said Sidhu claiming that thermal power plants are getting shut because of coal shortage When the demand for power reaches 15000 MW then how will they meet it he asked Sidhu demanded that wheat growers be given Rs 500 per quintal for the drop in crop yield because of early onset of heat wave PTI CHS VSD DIV RDK RDK

New Delhi Mar 21 PTI The Supreme Court Monday said it would hear on March 25 the plea seeking review of the sentence awarded by it in May 2018 to cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu in a 1988 road rage caseThe matter was listed for hearing before a special bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and S K KaulAs soon the bench of Justices Khanwilkar and A S Oka assembled for hearing matters in the post-lunch session Justice Khanwilkar said the special bench would hear the review plea on FridayThis bench is going to continue with the remaining work So the special bench matter can be taken up on Friday at 2 PM Justice Khanwilkar saidOn February 25 the apex court had asked Congress leader Sidhu to file response within two weeks on an application which has said that his conviction in the case should not have been merely for the lesser offence of voluntarily causing hurtThough the top court had in May 2018 held Sidhu guilty of the offence of voluntarily causing hurt to a 65-year-old man it spared him of a jail term and imposed a fine of Rs 1000Later in September 2018 the apex court agreed to examine a review petition filed by the family members of the deceased and had issued notice restricted to the quantum of sentenceIn a reply filed to the application seeking enlargement of scope of notice Sidhu has said the apex court after a careful perusal of the contents of the review petitions has restricted its scope to quantum of sentenceIt is well settled that whenever this court issues notice confining to sentence arguments will be heard only to that effect unless some extraordinary circumstancematerial is shown to the Court It is respectfully submitted that the contents of the present applications reiterate only overruled arguments and do not show any extraordinary material calling for interference on all aspects from this court the reply saidIt said the petitioners have moved the applications after a lapse of about three-and-a-half-year from the issuance of limited notice on September 11 2018 and this unaccounted delay without any cogent explanation raises doubts on the bonafides of the applications It is respectfully submitted that the present applications seeking expansion of the limited notice will amount to a second review which is impermissible in law it said adding It is further submitted that the petitioners through the present applications are requesting this court to undertake a rovingfishing enquiry and re-appreciate the entire evidence on record The reply said the apex court had perused the entire evidence on record including medical evidence to conclude that cause of death of Gurnam Singh could not be ascertainedThe impugned judgement has specifically concluded that the prosecution has failed to prove that the injuries inflicted by the accused had resulted in death of the deceased Therefore in this background application of sections 299300 of the Indian Penal Code is not possible as these provisions will only apply when the injury has led to death it saidIt said as there was no evidence whatsoever that the death was caused by the single blow by the answering respondent even assuming the incident did take place this court rightly concluded that the same would fall under section 323 IPC Section 323 punishment for voluntarily causing hurt of the Indian Penal Code entails a maximum jail term of up to one year or with a fine which may extend to Rs 1000 or bothWhile seeking dismissal of the applications the reply said there is no infirmity in the verdict delivered by the apex court and the applications are nothing but a malicious attempt for reopening of a well-reasoned judgmentSenior advocate Siddharth Luthra appearing for one of the petitioners had earlier told the apex court that they have moved an application seeking enlargement of scope of the noticeThe apex court had on May 15 2018 set aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court order convicting Sidhu of culpable homicide and awarding him a three-year jail term in the case but had held him guilty of causing hurt to a senior citizenThe top court had also acquitted Sidhus aide Rupinder Singh Sandhu of all charges saying there was no trustworthy evidence regarding his presence along with Sidhu at the time of the offence in December 1988Later in September 2018 the apex court had agreed to examine a review petition filed by the family members of the deceased The apex courts May 2018 verdict had come on the appeal filed by Sidhu and Sandhu challenging the high courts 2006 judgment convicting themAccording to the prosecution Sidhu and Sandhu were in a Gypsy parked in the middle of a road near the Sheranwala Gate Crossing in Patiala on December 27 1988 when the victim and two others were on their way to the bank to withdraw moneyWhen they reached the crossing it was alleged Gurnam Singh driving a Maruti car found the Gypsy in the middle of the road and asked the occupants Sidhu and Sandhu to remove it This led to heated exchangesSidhu was acquitted of murder charges by the trial court in September 1999However the high court had reversed the verdict and held Sidhu and Sandhu guilty under section 304 II culpable homicide not amounting to murder of the IPC in December 2006It had sentenced them to three years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on them PTI ABA SA

Chandigarh Jan 26 PTI The Shiromani Akali Dal on Wednesday fielded senior party leader Bikram Singh Majithia against Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East and former CM Parkash Singh Badal from Lambi constituency Parkash Singh Badal will be the oldest candidate in the fray for the February 20 Assembly elections Declaring Majithias candidature party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal attacked Sidhu saying his political life is coming to an end Meanwhile Majithia expressed his gratitude to the SAD chief for fielding him from Amritsar East and tweeted Akalis have a brave history of fighting to safeguard the rights of Punjabis protecting them from the anti-Punjab elements like sherryontopp Amritsar East will be the second seat from where Bikram Singh Majithia will be contesting The other seat from where he will be in the fray is the Majitha Assembly segment Navjot Sidhu be ready Sukhbir Badal told the Punjab Congress chief The SAD president said his partys Amritsar leadership and workers told him that Sidhus arrogance has to be shattered Our warrior will fight from the Amritsar East seat he said Sukhbir Badal said rival political parties are targeting Majithia as he raises the voice of people He accused the Charanjit Singh Channi government especially Sidhu of getting a false drug case registered against Majithia Booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS Act last month Majithia has been trying to secure an anticipatory bail from courts Majithia was denied relief by the Punjab and Haryana High Court early this week but was given three-day protection from arrest to move the Supreme Court for reprieve You Sidhu used to make false allegations and now the people of Punjab and people of your constituency will dispense justice said Badal after declaring Majithias candidature Targeting Sidhu for doing nothing for the Amritsar East constituency Badal said the cricketer-turned-politician has been harping on his Punjab Model but completely neglected his own constituency A leader who does not go to his constituency and meet workers talks about the Punjab Model the SAD chief said His political life is coming to an end and it is going to be his last election Badal asserted On the Lambi seat Badal said his father and former CM Parkash Singh Badal will be contesting Badal sahab fought for Punjab and the community throughout his life He told me that he will not retire he said Badal Sahab has always been in the forefront to offer his services for the welfare of Punjab and Punjabis and he is doing so again he added Badal has been winning from the Lambi assembly seat since 1997 With the announcement of candidates on the two seats the SAD has now declared candidates on all 97 seats on which it is going to contest the February 20 state Assembly polls The party meanwhile announced the candidature of Satinder Singh Chajjwalwadi from the Jandiala seat replacing Malkit Singh who has expressed inability to fight polls on health grounds The SAD has tied up with the BSP for the coming elections According to the seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties the BSP will field candidates on 20 of the 117 Assembly seats in Punjab while the rest will be contested by the Shiromani Akali Dal PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh Jan 24 PTI Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday ridiculed Navjot Singh Sidhus claims of fighting the sand mining mafia saying the state Congress president had himself led the rebellion against him with the MLAs who were allegedly involved in the activity This clearly exposed his own interest in sheltering them the former CM said according to a statement Amarinder Singh was removed as the Punjab chief minister in September last year following a bitter power tussle with Sidhu Later the former CM Amarinder floated the Punjab Lok Congress and now contesting the Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP The former Punjab CM said considering that many Congress MLAs whom Sidhu had led in rebellion against him had direct or indirect interest or share in the states sand mafia the ex-cricketer presidents credentials in the matter are patently dubious This coupled with the fact that the PPCC president enjoyed hobnobbing with anti-nationals elements including his close friends in the Pakistan leadership which had even lobbied for his induction to the state cabinet had exposed Sidhus self-interest and his complete apathy to Punjabs interests Amarinder Singh said Rejecting Sidhus allegation that he had failed to take action against the sand mafia during his tenure as the chief minister the former CM said not only had he taken all possible administrative steps he had specifically asked the Congress president for directives for acting against the Congress leaders Why he was not given the necessary direction to take such action asked Amarinder Singh The former CM claimed that the Punjab Congress MLAs about whose ties with the sand mafia he had reported to the Congress president were in direct touch with the party leadership in the run-up to his removal from chief ministership What had shocked him was that instead of taking action against these MLAs who had the support of Sidhu the Congress high command had chosen to sack him said the former chief minister Singh said Sidhus persistent and unsubstantiated attacks against him even after his departure from the Congress showed how insecure the Punjab Congress chief was In his desperation to undermine his political clout and importance in Punjab Sidhu had even forgotten his own party unit which was in a state of total disarray with blatant and open infighting claimed Singh adding that Sidhu and CM Charanjit Singh Channi are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the wipe-out of the Congress in Punjab PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh Jan 24 PTI Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday dubbed AAPs survey to select its CM face for the state Assembly polls a scam and deceptive scheme and said his party has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against it Sidhu also launched a scathing attack against Aam Aadmi Party AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal calling him a trickster and hypocrite Addressing reporters at a press conference here Sidhu urged the Election Commission to register criminal cases against AAP for running a fake campaign AAP had announced its Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann as its CM face last week following a survey in which people were asked to call on a phone number to give their preference Kejriwal had claimed that they had received over 2159 lakh responses from January 13 to 17 under the Janta Chunegi Apna CM campaign and 933 per cent people had given Bhagwant Manns name Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu got 36 per cent votes the Delhi chief minister had added The Congress leader said this many calls cant be received on a private number over a few days If we try to fit this data into mathematical calculations then it does not make sense at all Usually such calls take at least 15 seconds then only 5760 calls can be attended in one day and that shall add up to 23040 calls in four days he said It is a deceptive scam to trick people This is exactly what he Kejriwal has done he said This mechanism of deceit to create an illusion and propaganda of fake news is a complete violation of the model code of conduct and the Election Commission of India should take strict notice of it Sidhu said He said the Congress has complained to the election panel as to how Kejriwal is trying to befool people of Punjab through dirty tricks Kejriwal is a trickster and a hypocrite said Sidhu I will expose this hypocrite he is a habitual liar This was an avoidable lie Why would you create all this nonsense and propaganda to do something like this But if he has done this it is not the first time We have seen earlier how he went on an apology-tendering spree including Bikram Singh Majithia said Sidhu In the complaint to the Election Commission Sidhu has written that AAP received around 7 lakh WhatsApp messages 250 lakh voice messages and approximately 8 lakh voice calls Sidhu urged the poll panel to register criminal cases against AAP Due an inquiry be conducted and in case this campaign is found to be fake in such an instance the Election Commission is requested to register criminal cases against the Aam Aadmi Party through its national president Arvind Kejriwal under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code wrote Sidhu in a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Reacting to the charge AAP leader Raghav Chadha said Sidhus pain is that he only over 3 per cent votes in the AAPs campaign His own party does not take him seriously then why should we take him seriously Chadha said Sidhu is the drama queen of Punjab politics Sidhu used unparliamentary language against AAP and our leader Arvind Kejriwal we condemn it He is frustrated that he was not made the CM when Amarinder Singh was removed His party has not declared him CM face so far and no other party is willing to take him so all his frustrations are coming out he said The AAP leader further said Sidhus mission is to divert the real issue which is illegal mining racket the leader said After the Enforcement Directorate raids entire Punjab is seeking answer from the Congress and the chief minister he said When AAP carried out a raid in December and exposed how illegal sand mining was going on at Jindapur village in Chief Minister Channis Chamkaur Sahib constituency Sidhu had maintained complete silence Sidhu who keeps speaking about cable mafia drug mafia other mafia did not utter a word when we exposed the illegal activity said Chadha PTI CHS SUN VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh Dec 19 PTI In a no-holds-barred attack Punjab minister Rana Gurjeet Singh on Sunday called state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu a political mercenary and alleged that he has divided the party The minister also accused Sidhu of questioning the loyalty of the true and traditional Congressmen and said he joined the party just to become the chief minister But sooner you leave better it will be for the party as you have divided and damaged the party from within as if you were pursuing some hidden agenda of your real political masters who are still pulling your strings Rana said in a statement You are just like a mercenary having joined the party just with the sole purpose of becoming the chief minister while I have been in the party right from my birth the minister added calling himself a born Congressman Sidhu had joined the Congress after quitting the BJP ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls The minister said Sidhu is just a political mercenary bereft of any principles or ideology It is an irony that someone who is basically a political party hopper and has not even spent five years in the party is preaching and pontificating to people like us who have spent an entire lifetime in the service of the party he said Rana said keeping keeping in mind Sidhus unstable and eccentric behaviour nobody is sure whether he would stay in the Congress or quit the party before the Assembly polls The senior Congress leader also questioned intentions of Sidhu in opposing his own government and the CM saying he has now been exposed You have been openly criticising our chief minister as you have started feeling jealous and insecure about his popularity among the masses Rana said As party president your key responsibility is to keep the party united but you did not leave any stone unturned to create fissures in the campaign committee manifesto committee and screening committee which were constituted by the party high command said Rana The ministers statement came a day after the Punjab Congress chief in a dig at a rally suggested that it is the end of road for Rajas and Ranas Sidhu had also backed the candidature of MLA Navtej Singh Cheema from Sultanpur Lodhi a seat Ranas son Rana Inder Partap Singh is eyeing to contest Earlier this year Sidhu had become the state Congress chief amid a power tussle with Amarinder Singh who had quit the party following his unceremonious exit as the chief minister PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK

New Delhi Nov 20 PTI Taking a swipe at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sindhu for calling the Pakistan prime minister bada bhai party leader Manish Tewari Saturday said Imran Khan is the cats paw of the Pakistan deep state that drones arms and narcotics into Punjab and sends terrorists to Jammu and KashmirEarlier in the day Sidhu offered prayers at Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan and stressed on opening of a new friendship chapter and trade between the two countriesPilgrimage to the gurdwara was suspended in March last year because of Covid outbreak The Kartarpur corridor was reopened on Tuesday for pilgrimsWhen Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit CEO Muhammad Latif welcomed the former Test cricketer at the zero point and extended best wishes to him and his delegation on behalf of the prime minister Sidhu was effusive in his praise for his ex-cricket rival Imran Khan is my elder brother I am greatly honoured He Khan gave us a lot of love Apparently reacting to Sidhus gesture Tewari tweeted ImranKhanPTI may be anybodys elder brother but for India he is that cats paw of Pak Deep State ISI-Military combine that drones arms narcotics into Punjab sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in JK Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon the MP from Anandpur Sahib saidSidhu was also effusive in his praise for the former Pakistan cricket captainI am thankful to PM Imran Khan for taking the first step and the other side India responded with two steps I had already said that those favouring the laanga corridor would have blessings and those opposing it had no value he said PTI ASK ZMN

New Delhi Nov 20 PTI Taking a swipe at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sindhu for purportedly calling Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan bada bhai party leader Manish Tewari Saturday said Khan may be anybodys elder brother but for India he is that cats paw of the Pakistan deep state that drones arms and narcotics into Punjab and sends terrorists on a daily basis to Jammu and KashmirA video of Sidhu during a trip to Kartarpur Sahib on Saturday being welcomed by a Pakistani official on behalf of Khan has gone viral in which the Congress leader is purportedly heard saying Khan was like a bada bhai to him and that he loved him a lotTaking to Twitter Tewari tweeted ImranKhanPTI may be anybodys elder brother but for India he is that cats paw of Pak Deep State ISI-Military combine that drones arms narcotics into Punjab sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in JK Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon the MP from Anandpur Sahib saidIndia had recently opened the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and a number of pilgrims from Punjab including politicians have visited the place on the occasion of Sikhism founder Guru Nanaks birth anniversary PTI ASK ZMN

New Delhi Nov 20 PTI The BJP on Saturday hit out at the Congress after its Punjab unit president Navjot Singh Sidhu reportedly called Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan his elder brother during a trip to Kartarpur Sahib alleging the opposition party sees terror groups like IS and Boko Haram in Hindutva while it finds a bhai jaan in Khan A purported video of Sidhu being welcomed by a Pakistani official on behalf of Khan has gone viral in which the Congress leader is heard saying Khan was like a bada bhai to him and that he loved him a lot It is a serious matter of concern for India BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said as the ruling party seized on the issue to target the Congress He claimed that there was a larger design at work and Sidhus comments were linked to a number of Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi criticising Hindutva Referring to Congress leader Salman Khurshids statement in his latest book Patra said the opposition party sees terror groups such as the ISIS and the Boko Haram in Hindutva while it finds a bhai jaan in Khan It is being done for appeasement politics as the Congress still believes that there is a section in India which will be happy with praise for Pakistan There are no such people in India though Patra added He noted that Sidhu had praised Khan and Pakistan earlier too and had hugged its army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during an earlier trip to the neighbouring country Noting that Punjab is a border state where Pakistan tries to foment troubles Patra said it needs a mature and patriotic leadership Sidhu is not right for India and Punjab deserves better than him he said Pakistans foreign minister had recently described Hindutva as a threat to global security and he had borrowed the term from Rahul Gandhi the BJP leader alleged To a question about Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the farmers issue Patra shot back and asked if she also considers Khan an elder brother like Sidhu as she had in the past called the Punjab leader her brother Sharing the video BJP IT department head Amit Malviya tweeted Rahul Gandhis favourite Navjot Singh Sidhu calls Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan his bada bhai Last time he had hugged Gen Bajwa Pakistan Armys Chief heaped praises Is it any surprise that the Gandhi siblings chose a Pakistan loving Sidhu over veteran Amarinder Singh India had recently opened the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and a number of pilgrims from Punjab including politicians have visited the place on the occasion of Sikhism founder Guru Nanaks birth anniversary PTI KR SMN SMN

Chandigarh Oct 21 PTI Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday called former chief minister Amarinder Singh the architect of the Centres three farm laws against which farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders Sidhus remark came two days after Amarinder Singh said he would launch his own political party and that he was hopeful of a seat arrangement with the BJP provided the ongoing farmers stir against farm laws was resolved in the agriculturists interest Amarinder Singh who faced an unceremonious exit from the state government last month had also said that he was looking at an alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups The architect of three black laws Who brought Ambani to Punjabs kisani Who destroyed Punjabs farmers small traders and labour for benefiting one-two big corporates Sidhu tweeted in an apparent reference to farmers allegations that big corporates will dictate terms to agriculturists with the passage of these laws Amarinder Singh had resigned as the Punjab chief minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu Charanjit Singh Channi replaced him as the chief minister Hundreds of farmers mostly from Punjab Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been camping at the Delhi borders since November 26 last year demanding the repeal of the three farm laws PTI CHS VSD AAR