CHANDIGARH: Former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of cricketer-turned-politician and former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, has been expelled from the Congress on disciplinary grounds.
Reacting to the development in a social media post, Kaur launched an attack on Rahul Gandhi, referring to him as “pappu” in a social media post.
Punjab affairs in-charge of the Congress and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was at the residence of former Congress MLA Rajkumar Verka on Saturday, said Kaur had been expelled on disciplinary grounds, asserting that strict adherence to the party line is non-negotiable. He was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
Baghel confirmed that although Kaur had earlier been placed under suspension, the party has now formally expelled her. He added that he is currently touring Punjab to mobilise support for MGNREGA workers and has also addressed a gathering in Jandiala Guru near Amritsar.
Kaur’s expulsion comes five days after she announced her resignation from the Congress, accusing the leadership of being “unaware of ground realities”. Her strained relationship with the party began on December 8 last year, when she was suspended for making a controversial remark suggesting that a “suitcase of Rs 500 crore” was required to become the Chief Minister of Punjab.
Reacting to her expulsion, Kaur posted a lengthy message on X, criticising Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and alleging that he was disconnected from ground realities. She accused his inner circle of enjoying privileges while keeping him insulated, questioned the party’s commitment to Punjab, and alleged corruption among leaders who, she claimed, were certain of not returning to power.
"Before asking people to join him, he should check whether his so-called supporters are ready to be honest and work for Punjab. Not many of your followers are willing to serve selflessly; rather, they are busy filling their pockets because they know they are not going to come back. If you have the guts, ask them to speak against the present government and be ready for their files to be exposed. Learn to speak and face the truth that is, was and always will be. Advice to a good friend: be more mindful, mature, receptive and impartial,” she wrote on X.
Earlier, Kaur had said that Navjot Singh Sidhu would return to active politics only if the Congress declared him its chief ministerial face in Punjab. After a meeting with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, she had remarked, “We always speak for Punjab and Punjabiyat but do not have Rs 500 crore to sit in the chief minister’s chair.”
Navjot Kaur Sidhu, a former BJP MLA from Amritsar (East), had joined the Congress along with her husband ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections. Her recent social media posts, including one welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Punjab, have fuelled speculation about a possible return to the BJP.