Navjot Sidhu’s new political moves
Former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, who came out of Patiala Central Jail recently after serving a ten month sentence, is banking on turncoats to come back into the reckoning. Those close to Sidhu want him to bring back the municipal councillors who have switched sides to BJP or AAP. He met the top leadership of the grand old party in Delhi recently, including Mallikarjan Karge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, among others. While he met a few former party MLAs and MPs in Punjab, he did not meet the big leaders in Punjab, which may be a cause of negativity as his moves are being noticed by the senior state leaders.
Anil Vij dons a different hat, sings in a park
Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij donned a different hat recently. Sitting on a park bench in Ambala Cantonment, his assembly constituency, Vij was singing the famous old time song ‘Ramaiya Vastavaiya’ from the classic bollywood movie Shree 420 as some two dozen people — who were out on a morning walk— joined him in the chorus, clapping and swaying in rhythm. His performance gained immense popularity on social media once the video of him went viral. Last month when popular singer B Praak came to meet him at his office in Chandigarh, Vij was seen humming another Bollywood number ‘Teri Mitti Mein Mil Jawan’.
Different rules for ruling and Oppn parties?
Several posters and hoardings of Navjot Sidhu were put up at many places in Patiala by his supporters to welcome him when he was released from the Patiala Central Jail on April 1. However, the city municipal corporation removed them on the same day. After they were taken off, posters of ‘CM Di Yogshala’ were put up in the royal city as Punjab Chief Minister Bahgwant Mann and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated the event in Patiala. However, these posters have not yet been removed by the civic body. The residents and others quip that this shows different rules for ruling party and the opposition.
Harpreet Bajwa
Our correspondent in Chandigarh
hsbajwa73@gmail.com