As the Congress government in Punjab is about to complete three years in office, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been lying low since his resignation from the state cabinet in July last, yesterday launched his own channel on YouTube to make his connect with people.
In his maiden video, a sulking Sidhu who met interim party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on February 27 and briefed her of the political situation in Punjab, said he would communicate with the people in a simple way through his channel.
The video-sharing platform ‘Jittega Punjab’ (Punjab Will Win) invites all like-minded people to share their views.
A statement by Sidhu’s office said: “It is a platform to propel Punjab towards revival and renaissance. After nine months of contemplation and self-renewal, the former minister, four-term member of parliament and MLA Amritsar East will be vocal on the burning issues of Punjab and strive to carve out a concrete roadmap for the resurrection of Punjab as a welfare state.”
Striking an emotional chord, Sidhu said the channel was inspired by the path of universal brotherhood, tolerance, love and peace shown by Baba Nanak (Guru Nanak Dev).
Appealing to the people to join him and “be part of the resurrection”, Sidhu, who has never been far from controversies, even hogging the limelight as a fallout - whether for good or bad, said: “The whole world is my country, all mankind my brethren, to do good my religion - Inspired Sidhuism.”
“The icons of the channel are Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh. They are the epitomes of our glorious past, good governance, courage, sacrifice and role models for our future generations,” he said.
The Jittega Punjab logo is inspired by Punjab’s state bird, the northern goshawk or ‘baaz’. The bird is known as a symbol of strength and tenacity.
The cricketer-turned-politician resigned from as a cabinet minister on July 14, 2019 after differences with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh over portfolio allocation. Sidhu was in charge of local bodies but was shifted to the power department.
However, the tension was simmering between the two leaders when former minister and Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur was denied a party ticket for the Lok Sabha elections, sources said.
Political observers believe Sidhu’s assertions through his own YouTube platform come at a time of simmering dissent between the chief minister and his legislators over the government’s performance.
Congress sources say the cause of provocation is a disconnect or deliberate side-stepping of a section of legislators, who say unbridled powers to a handful of bureaucrats is hampering their day-to-day working and deliberately ignoring the party’s interests.