Congress spokesperson and MLA, Randeep Singh Surjewala, has written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh requesting him to provide security urgently to Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu while he is involved in party workers across the country. The letter was written on the 16th of November and received by the Home Ministry the day after. It has been accessed in full by OpIndia.com.
In the letter, Surjewala asserts that threats against Sidhu have increased ever since he quit the BJP and joined the Congress party. He writes, “As a result of his highly visible profile and political campaign, he has always been a high-risk target. However, there has been a marked escalation in these threats since S. Sidhu left the BJP and joined the Indian National Congress.”
BJP President Amit Shah also finds a mention in the letter for his ‘threatening tone’. Surjewala states, “After S. Sidhu left the BJP, the threatening tone and disparaging remarks made by various Akali Dal-BJP leaders including the BJP National President, Shri Amit Shah, are also well known.
Surjewala states through the Punjab state government is providing Sidhu with adequate security, they cannot do so across the country. He writes, “As Congress Party’s campaigner, S. Sidhu is travelling extensively throughout the country during elections as also on other Party programmes on a regular basis. While the State of Punjab has provided him with adequate security, Punjab Police personnel cannot be assigned the responsibility of security in rest of India.”
The Home Minister was requested to take urgent action and provide him security immediately. He said, “Given that S. Sidhu will be travelling extensively outside the State of Punjab for campaigning and electioneering as also other Party programmes to various states during the current elections to five states as also in the run-up to 2019 Parliament. I request that your good office take immediate action to provide CISD security cover to S. Navjot Singh Sidhu throughout the country.”
