Chandigarh: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu again demanded a replacement of Punjab’s police chief and advocate general on Sunday, saying otherwise the ruling party in the state will suffer a loss of face.
Hours later, chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi reminded that the names of 10 police officers have already been sent to the Centre. He asserted that a “good” officer will be appointed as the director general of police (DGP) after consulting Sidhu, ministers and MLAs once the state government receives three shortlisted names from the Centre.
“Demand for Justice in Sacrilege cases and for arrest of main culprits behind the drug trade brought our Govt in 2017 & due to his failure, people removed the last CM. Now, AG/ DG appointments rub salt on wounds of victims, they must be replaced or we will have No face!!,” Sidhu said in a tweet.
The development comes three days after Sidhu and Channi held a meeting, following which it was decided to set up a coordination panel for prior consultation on all major decisions of the state government.
Talking to reporters in Morinda on the sidelines of a government function, Channi said a regular DGP is yet to be appointed when he was asked about Sidhu’s demand for changing the state police chief and the advocate general. “I have told Sidhu sahab and he also knows that the names of the police officers who have completed 30 years in service have been sent to the Centre for the appointment of a DGP.
“We have sent the names and the Centre will now send us a three-member panel (for the selection of a regular DGP),” he said. The state government has sent the names of 10 police officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the appointment of a regular DGP.
Sidhu to stay as Punjab Cong chief
After a two-hour meeting with Channi, Sidhu has decided to continue as Punjab Congress chief. The meeting also decided to set up a coordination panel, which is expected to be consulted before any major decisions by the Punjab government in future, party sources said. The decision was reached after an over two-hour meeting at the Punjab Congress Bhavan between Channi and Sidhu, who had resigned from the post of the state party chief last week.
The panel may comprise the CM, Sidhu and a representative of the AICC, the sources said. The All-India Congress Committee (AICC) is expected to make an announcement in this regard, the sources said. However, it is still unclear how differences over the appointment of the DGP and the AG will be dealt with.
Miffed Sidhu had raised a question over the appointments of the DGP, state's advocate general and "tainted" leaders. Besides Channi and Sidhu, the meeting was attended by senior Congress leader and central observer Harish Chaudhary, minister Pargat Singh and Punjab Congress working president Kuljit Nagra, the sources said.
