SAD asks BJP to "tame" Navjot Singh Sidhu for his outburst, latter clarifies

Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has asked its coalition partner BJP to "tame" the latter's leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for his "outburst" against the Punjab Government.

At a religious function in Ludhiana on Sunday, SAD took strong exception to the "derogatory remarks" made by the former BJP MP from Amritsar.

Punjab Education Minister and party spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema yesterday rang up State BJP chief Kamal Sharma to apprise him about the comments made by Sidhu terming the former MP's "action" as "intolerable and against the spirit of coalition dharma".

Speaking at a function, the cricketer-turned-politician had accused the Akali regime in Punjab of converting politics into a commercial venture.

In an apparent swipe at SAD's slogan of "Raj Nahi, Sewa (service, not rule)", Sidhu had said, "For them (Akalis) it is only 10 per cent sewa (service) and 90 per cent mewa (commercial gain)", following which SAD had demanded that strict disciplinary actions be taken against him.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Sidhu said his remarks were not directed at the Akalis but those who loot and plunder Punjab.

"What I had said was that the demons must be dealt with. Those who loot and plunder Punjab must go. If certain Akalis are saying that he (Sidhu) is talking about us (them), I never knew they fall in this category," Sidhu said.

Sidhu today said "wind of change is blowing in Punjab" and he remains a dedicated soldier of the party and has never aspired for anything.

"I am a soldier of the party... A worker is always permanent," he added.

(With inputs from PTI)