Chandigarh, December 8, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
The Indian National Congress has suspended senior party leader and former MLA Dr. Navjot Kaur Sidhu from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect following her controversial “Rs. 500-crore” remark.
The one-line suspension order was issued on Monday by Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, stating that Dr. Sidhu’s suspension would take effect immediately.
Dr. Navjot Kaur Sidhu is the wife of cricketer-turned-politician and former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. The suspension is being viewed as a major setback for the Sidhu family, particularly at a time when they were perceived to be enjoying proximity to the Congress high command and had publicly highlighted their rapport with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The disciplinary action follows Dr. Sidhu’s statement made on Saturday in which she claimed that a “briefcase containing Rs. 500 crore” is required to become a Chief Minister. The remark triggered strong backlash across the party, drawing sharp criticism from both state and central leadership. Senior leaders from outside Punjab, including those in Karnataka, also condemned her statement as irresponsible.
In an apparent attempt to clarify her position, Dr. Sidhu later took to social media. However, instead of defusing the controversy, her subsequent remarks further escalated the row as she launched fresh attacks on several senior Punjab Congress leaders, including Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former Deputy Chief Minister and MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
In an interview with a Punjabi news channel, she alleged that Raja Warring and Bajwa had each accepted Rs. 5 crore from Karanvir Singh Burj for securing him a Congress ticket for the Tarn Taran by-election, which he later lost. Using harsh language, she labelled senior party leaders as “corrupt” and “ineffective,” accusing them of weakening the Congress in Punjab.
Earlier, Dr. Sidhu had also stated that her husband would return to active politics only if he was declared the Congress Chief Ministerial face for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. She claimed that if this condition was not met, he would remain away from active politics, citing his current professional success and personal satisfaction.
Although she maintained that the final decision rested with the Congress high command, Dr. Sidhu expressed doubts that such a move would be taken under the present circumstances. She further remarked that if any political party empowered Navjot Singh Sidhu to “rebuild Punjab,” he would be capable of transforming the state, but added that finances remained a major constraint.
When questioned about the possibility of Navjot Singh Sidhu returning to the BJP, she stated that she could not speak on his behalf, leaving the political future of her husband open to speculation.
FOLLOW NOW
