Will former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu get important responsibility after coming out of Patiala jail? There has been a stir in Congress circles following indications that the former cricketer may come out of jail even before the end of his one-year sentence.
Sidhu was sentenced to one year imprisonment in the hit-and-run case in May last year. Though he still has six months to complete his sentence, he can be out of prison in less than eight months, as per prison rules. Sidhu can get a 48-day reprieve in lieu of working in the jail’s factory, as convicts get four days off every month.
The Jail Superintendent has the power to grant a further remission of sentence of 30 days, which is generally granted to almost all convicts. A third 60-day exemption may come from the DG (Prisons), usually in exceptional cases and with political consent.
The news of Sidhu being given an important assignment after coming out of jail has created a stir in the party circles. The Congress leader is also awaiting the fate of the probe against the former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief after he was reprimanded by the disciplinary committee for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
Sources close to Sidhu said there was a growing chorus to bring him back into party affairs before his release and in the last six months some Congress leaders have been calling Sidhu in jail.
Party leaders are hopeful that Sidhu’s return to Punjab politics could lead to interesting political equations in the state. “Whenever he comes out, party leaders are waiting for his next move. What decision he takes on his political future is awaited.
Simultaneously with his conviction in May, the party high command referred the matter of his alleged anti-party activities to a disciplinary committee. Although the change of power at the top level would mean a change in the members of the disciplinary committee, the case against Sidhu was still pending.
After Amarinder Raja Waring took over as PPCC chief, the party has been taking a tough stand against indiscipline and has expelled some leaders in the last few months.
Following the poor performance of the Punjab Congress in this year’s assembly elections, Sidhu resigned as state unit chief before Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chowdhary took cognizance, the new PPCC chief Raja Waring told the party high command of his indiscipline and alleged Wrote about anti-party activities. The state unit has demanded action against him, accusing him of putting himself ahead of the party.
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