New Delhi: Hours after Sonia Gandhi asserted that she is the 'full time' Congress president and party leaders should avoid the media route, Navjot Singh Sidhu shared a letter to her on Twitter and sought a personal meeting to control the 'damages'.
Among 13 point issues, he flagged some vexed problems in poll-bound Punjab and demanded that the liquor trade in the state be centralised and a corporation be set up to run it.
On sand mining, Sidhu has once again supported his earlier model of providing sand at a fixed reasonable price to the end-user. The cricketer-turned-neta, who had resigned on September 28 as state unit chief and giving a shocker, has also listed regular jobs. This should only add to the embarrassment of the Congress regime in the state and the party's central leadership.
He said that at least 20 employee unions are already protesting against the contractual system in Punjab.
"It might be the last damage control exercise or else, Mafia-Raj ruling the state patronised by the Badals will take the state to the extent of financial emergency, joblessness, corruption, and agrarian crisis, from which, there will be no return," Sidhu wrote.
He also requested a personal audience from Sonia Gandhi to present the Punjab Model with a 13-Point Agenda to be part of the Congress Manifesto for the 2022 Assembly Elections.
Though Sidhu attacked Badals and the Akali leadership, it is also a fact that since March 2017, Congress has been in power in the state.
Mr Sidhu was earlier seen as a nominee of the Rahul-Priyanka Gandhi Vadra duo, and his elevation led to marginalisation and ultimately the exit of Capt Amarinder Singh.
The former Congress veteran and ex-Chief minister lately interacted with Home Minister Amit Shah and NSA Ajit Doval. However, he will not join BJP, the former CM said.
Among the points highlighted by Sidhu in his letter are justice in sacrilege cases, drug menace, agricultural issues, employment opportunities and welfare of backward classes.
His letter is dated October 15, a day before Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in Delhi but was shared by Sidhu on Twitter despite Sonia's insistence that party leaders should interact with her personally and avoid media.
Mr Sidhu also stated that the Cabinet should have a Majhbhi Sikh, a Dalit from Doaba, and two backward class ministers.
