Navjot Sidhu tweets picture of his late father with Pandit Nehru to answer detractors terming him ‘an outsider’

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 19

A day after being announced the new chief of Punjab Congress, supporters came in large number to greet Navjot Singh Sidhu at his residence in Patiala.  A huge gathering was witnessed at his residence since morning.  

Also read: Sidhu on mind? Preneet-Rahul chat during LS proceedings

Meanwhile, Sidhu shared an old picture of his late father with Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru from his family archive to reiterate that they were “traditional congressmen”. This way also seemed to address his detractors, who are terming him as “an outsider”.

He wrote: “To share prosperity, privilege & freedom not just among a few but among all, My father a Congress worker left a royal household & joined freedom struggle, was sentenced to death for his patriotic work reprieved by King’s Amnesty became DCC President, MLA, MLC & Advocate General.”

He wrote: "Today, to work further for the same dream & strengthen the invincible fort of

@INCIndia, Punjab. I am grateful to Hon’ble Congress President Sonia Gandhi Ji, Shri

@RahulGandhi Ji & Smt @priyankagandhi Ji for bestowing their faith in me & giving me this pivotal responsibility.  Will work along every member of Congress family in Punjab to fulfil the mission of #JittegaPunjab as a humble Congress worker to Give Power of the People Back to the People through the #PunjabModel & High Command’s 18 Point Agenda ... My Journey has just begun !!"

After almost over two decades, the power centre in the Congress citadel of Patiala, held firmly by Capt Amarinder Singh and wife MP Preneet Kaur, suddenly seems to have shifted from their official residence of New Moti Bagh to the Yadavindra Colony-based Navjot Sidhu’s parental house.

Former Amritsar MP and sitting MLA from Amritsar East, Navjot Sidhu replaced Sunil Jakhar. The party also named four working presidents. They are Urmar MLA Sangat Singh Gilzian, Jandiala legislator Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra and Pawan Goel from Jaito in Faridkot.

It all started in almost end of February when the Sidhu couple shifted their base to Patiala. After being away from Patiala for over a decade, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, along with his wife had suddenly become active with recent press conferences and political functions in the bastion of the Chief Minister openly challenging the government and their failure to punish sacrilege accused and those accused of firing in Bargari.