Punjab Congress chief Raja Warring suspends Maheshinder, his son for organising Navjot Singh Sidhu’s rally in Moga

Chandigarh, January 27

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday suspended party leaders Maheshinder Singh and his son Dharampal Singh from the party’s primary membership.

The action came six days after the Congress’ former district president Maheshinder and Dharampal organised a rally, which was addressed by party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu in Moga district.

The Punjab Congress had on January 21 issued a show-cause notice to Maheshinder and his son for not informing the local leadership about the rally and had asked them to submit a reply within two days, failing which they would face disciplinary action.

The notice was issued after Congress’ Moga in-charge Malvika Sood Sachar lodged a complaint against them for not informing the local leaders about the rally and not holding discussions with her.

Sachar, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls from Moga seat, had even asked the party workers not to attend the rally.

After the show-cause notice was issued, Sidhu had come out in support of Maheshinder and his son, and had posted on X, “Will stand by the Nihalsinghwala family, come what may ‘¦. Third Generation Congress family – the roots of the grand old party ‘¦ there cannot be any fruit without the root !!!”

Infighting in the Punjab Congress last month came to the fore after former cricketer Sidhu started holding rallies without consulting the party’s state unit and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa asked him to join the party’s programmes instead of setting up his “own stage”.

Several Congress leaders had even asked the party leadership to rein in Sidhu.

Earlier this month, Warring had stressed that the party’s programmes should be held in consultation with the state unit chiefs.

The matter had even reached the party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Devender Yadav when he was on a three-day visit to Punjab. At that time, Sidhu had informed Yadav that his public meetings were prior programmes.

Sidhu had also then said that discipline should not imply different things for different people So far, Sidhu has held four rallies—two in Bathinda and one each in Hoshiarpur and Moga.