Punjab: Congress suspends party membership of Navjot Kaur Sidhu after 'Rs 500 crore' remark

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], December 8 : Congress leader Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu was suspended from the party, with immediate effect on Monday according to an official order by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee,. The suspension came after Dr. Navjot Kaur Sidhu's 'Rs 500 crore' remark, for the CM seat.
Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that it is unfortunate that such a remark was made. He said that Navjot Singh Sidhu was also made PCC President, a post higher than that of Chief Minister. He also accused Navjot Kaur Sidhu of choosing to ignore campaigning for Congress when Priyanka Gandhi visited the current CM Bhagwant Mann's constituency during the time of elections.
He said, "It is unfortunate that she made this remark. She should first state how much they paid for the PCC President post. Everybody knows that even the Chief Minister is under the position of Party President. The party is supreme. She did not speak a word for 3.5 years while the Congress workers struggled in the state, and started making these statements when elections were nearing... Why did she not campaign for Congress when Priyanka Gandhi went to the constituency of CM Bhagwat Mann? This was party indiscipline. Such people, and not anyone else in Punjab, pose a threat to the party."
Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that Navjot Kaur Sidhu has brought the reality of the Congress model to the attention of Punjab citizens, and also the reality that if someone becomes CM from their party, they will obviously be involved in corruption. He also accused a former Congress leader, now the BJP President, Sunil Jakhar, of being part of corruption practices during his time with Congress.
Speaking to ANI, Punjab Minister Harpal Singh Cheema says, " According to her statement, this means that the Chief Ministers in the Congress party are for sale. Whenever someone becomes Chief Minister by investing Rs. 500 crore, it is obvious that he will loot the state. This is the model of loot of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Sunil Jakhar was also at this party... He remained a mute spectator while the Congress party continued to commit corruption in front of him. Therefore, he should clarify his role. Was he also involved in that race?..."
Navjot Sidhu said on Sunday that they can transform Punjab into a golden state, but they do not have "Rs 500 crore" to give to any party and sit in the Chief Minister's chair.
Meanwhile BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the Congress has been totally engulfed in corruption.
"Today, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, a senior leader of the Congress party in Punjab and wife of former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, said that in the Congress party, anybody can only think of becoming Chief Minister if he has Rs 500 crores in his suitcase... It has become very clear that corruption has reached Congress to such a level that, from leaders to carders from the government to the party, Congress has been totally engulfed in corrupt practices..." Trivedi said.
BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also slammed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi over the "500 crores" remark made by Sidhu.
"It is a direct allegation of corruption against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi...Today, it became clear that the corruption model of these two leaders is on the frontline...It means anyone who delivers a 'briefcase' or 'suitcase' full of Rs. 500 crores can become the Chief Minister..." he said.
He further said that the Congress party follows a model of corruption and feeds upon its own workers to live with high-end amenities.
"It means that from Karnataka to Himachal, or any state, the Congress party only selects the person who can provide a briefcase of Rs. 500 crores to the Gandhi-Vadra family, as Chief Minister...It shows that their leadership model is a model of corruption, under which they loot their own workers to fund their lavish lifestyle...Now we understand why the Gandhi-Vadra family's standard of living didn't flinch at all these years after staying in the opposition for so long..." he added.