Day before Delhi meeting, Sidhu says ‘grateful to high command, but will not compromise

Jammu, October 14: Day after Congress general secretary incharge Harish Rawat tweeted that PPCC chief Navjot Sidhu would meet him and K C Venugopal Thursday, Sidhu on Wednesday went live on his Facebook page to say that he will not make compromises in his political career.

While thanking the party high command for giving him respect and honouring his merit, Sidhu said there was a bigger struggle for him, the system needed to change and people like him would come and go.
In the video, Sidhu said, “When you have to change a system then you do not fight individuals.
Corruption starts from the bottom. But corruption is nailed from the top. It then starts percolating downwards. I take pleasure in opposing such corrupt systems. I have never compromised. I acknowledge all those people who have given me respect and honoured my merit. But there is a bigger struggle.”

He went on to say that he was in love with Punjab. “I have ‘ishq’ with Punjab. What is ishq? It breaks away from every relationship and all bonds. I have that kind of ‘ishq’ with Punjab. Whosoever will understand my love for the state would not blame me for anything. My merit was ignored everywhere. It happens in politics.”

On the party high command, he said, “The high command has always facilitated me. I am always grateful to them. But how do you go forward by compromise? This monstrous system will consume you in that case.”
“Ishq jinko hai vatan se khudi ko mitate rahenge, shama toh mehfil mein jalti rahegi, Sidhu jaise parvane aur bhi aate rehenge,” Sidhu turned poetic in his live interaction.

Sidhu’s latest video has evinced curiosity as he was upset with Punjab government for appointing APS Deol as AG and IPS Sahota as DGP. The government has sent a panel to UPSC for appointing new DGP But the AG continues to be in saddle firmly. He had resigned on these two issues. The party tried to resolve the issue but Sidhu has not withdrawn his resignation yet. His latest video has fuelled a speculation that he had made up his mind that he would not withdraw his resignation.

Seeking to explain his vision for the state, he said his Punjab model was basically self-reliance financially.

“Every solution to every problem of Punjab is financial. The state is debt ridden. We take loans to pay off debt. The cancellation of PPAs may be a technical issue but in the end it is a financial issue. The post matric scholarship, Ambedkar scheme that Punjab government launched last year but never implemented because there is no money.”

Taking a dig against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, he said: “Kejriwal promised 16,000 mohalla clinics and jobs to 25 lakh. We can do it. But we need income. There are 1 lakh vacant posts in Punjab but we have not been able to fill them because there is no money. “

He recalled how he had suggested policies as Cabinet minister to his government. “I was giving policies. I gave liquor policy, sand mining policy. I raised how the cable network associated with Akalis is on the government land. The individuals keep getting rich but the state suffers.”

Sidhu said as per his Punjab model, the state should make 3-4 corporations to sell liquor, employ people. Why cannot it be done here in Punjab? Why cannot we have VAT. From only one department we can run the entire state. This department can give you so much of money.

About sand, he hit out at the Akalis-BJP saying for 10 years they made for the exchequer Rs 40 crore every year. “We raised it to Rs 250 crore. Telangana is an example. They earned Rs 2,400 crore in three years. They have only one river while we have three.”

On Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi announcing a few days ago that they would allow sand mining for free, Sidhu said, “Why do we say will provide free sand? It is for the people who mine it, and have paraphernalia to mine it. How is a common man going to benefit? When the rate and supply is not fixed then the miner can sell it on any price he pleases. We have to remove mafia raj from the state.”
He said that “if the intention is good then any policy can be implemented. Why was it not done in 4.5 years? Why is it being done in 4-5 months?”