Navjot Singh Sidhu gives clarion call for ‘sach di ladai’

Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Nawanshahr, July 20

Newly appointed PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu today paid obeisance at the memorial site of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh at his ancestral Khatkar Kalan village near here.

Sidhu was accompanied by PCC working president Kuljit Nagra and six MLAs — Angad Saini, Darshan S Mangupur, Rajkumar Verka, Sukhpal Bhullar, Inderbir Singh Bolaria and Gurpreet GP. Youth Congress leader Brinder Dhillon, former Banga MLAs Tarlochan Soondh and Mohan Lal Banga, and Pungrain Chairman Lalli Majithia also came along. The convoy of Congress leaders started from Chandigarh and headed towards Amritsar, Sidhu’s home constituency.

Farmers wave black flags, block highway

• Hours before Navjot Singh Sidhu was to reach the venue, farmers representing the Doaba Kisan Union gathered in large numbers at the memorial site. Farmers cautioned Sidhu against making false promises at the site
• They also alleged that Sidhu had not supported their ongoing agitation so far. High security arrangements had to be made to ensure safety of the political leaders
• Since the farmers could not catch up with Sidhu, they showed him black flags and blocked the Phagwara-Nawanshahr highway for some time to lodge their protest

A fully charged Sidhu raised slogans ‘Shaheedo teri soch te, pehra deyange thok ke’ and ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh amar rahe’ at the memorial. Since it was raining heavily when the PCC chief reached the site, he got totally drenched.

Sidhu suffers toe injury

Sidhu got injured during his visit to Khatkar Kalan. He was walking barefoot after paying respects at the statue when the nail of his right toe got plucked. Despite the injury, the PCC chief continued his roadshows via Phagwara and Jalandhar towards Amritsar.

He addressed mediapersons at the site, saying, “I have come here to seek direction and light up the spirit of truthfulness among Punjabis. I wish Punjabis draw strength from Bhagat Singh and set out on ‘haq te sach di ladai (fight for right and truth)’. Every Punjabi must consider himself a stakeholder in the ongoing quest to regain prosperity for the state. The proposed Punjab model will bring things on the right track. The implementation of the 18-point programme of the Congress high command will empower the masses.”

In a veiled reference to the scathing attacks by CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s camp, he mentioned, “Punjab cannot progress if we keep abusing one another”.

Meanwhile, ahead of Sidhu’s visit, Congress workers from Banga, who are supporting the rival factions of ex-MLAs Tarlochan Soondh and Mohan Lal Banga, almost came to a faceoff and indulged in sloganeering.