Sidhu targets DGP over desecration case, meets CM Channi

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday attacked the state's new DGP, saying he wrongly indicted two Sikh youths in a desecration case and gave a clean chit to the Badals.

Chandigarh:Just before his meeting with Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday attacked the state's new DGP, saying he wrongly indicted two Sikh youths in a desecration case and gave a clean chit to the Badals.

A tweet in this regard came as Sidhu reached Chandigarh from Patiala to meet Channi.

The desecration of a religious text allegedly took place in Punjab's Faridkot district in 2015, whose investigation was handed over by the then Parkash Singh Badal-led government to an SIT led by current DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota.

Sahota was given the additional charge of the state's DGP by the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government, after which Sidhu quit as the state Congress chief and objected to his appointment.

Sidhu in a tweet on Thursday said Sahota was the head of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the desecration case under the Badal government and "wrongly" indicted two Sikh youths and gave a "clean chit to Badals".

Sidhu further said in 2018, he along with current state Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa and the then Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar had met the victims, assuring "support" in fight for Justice.

Earlier in the day, Sidhu reached Chandigarh from Patiala to meet Channi.

Miffed Sidhu on Wednesday had raised a question over the appointments of the director general of police, state's advocate general and “tainted” leaders.

Sidhu's meeting came a day after Channi reached out to him and offered to resolve issues through talks.

The Punjab unit of the Congress is in turmoil after Amarinder Singh was removed as the chief minister and its chief Sidhu resigned from his post ahead of the Assembly elections in the state early next year.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Channi had said, "I have spoken to Sidhu sahab over telephone today. The party is supreme and the government accepts the party's ideology and follows that. (I told him that) You come, sit and talk".

"If you (Sidhu) feel there is anything wrong, you can point it out," he had said.

When asked what was Sidhu's response, Channi had said the leader told him that he would sit and talk, and would give him time for a meeting.

PTI