Punjab BJP chief takes potshot at Navjot Kaur Sidhu, calls her 'migratory bird'

The Punjab unit of the BJP Monday took a potshot at former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu for seeking Congress ticket to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Chandigarh, and called her "migratory bird".

"She had been an MLA from Amritsar and her husband is currently an MLA from there. Her husband (Navjot Singh Sidhu) had contested Lok Sabha polls from Amritsar. Why she now ran away from Amritsar and came to Chandigarh?" Punjab BJP Chief Shwait Malik said.

"These people have been complete failure. Navjot Singh Sidhu was a failed MP and now failed minister (in the Congress government). Now the dark clouds loom large over their political career. I call her migratory bird who is now search of new destination," Malik told reporters here.

Navjot Kaur Sidhu has staked claim to the Congress ticket for contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from UT Chandigarh.

The former MLA from Amritsar (East) and former chief parliamentary secretary submitted her application to the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee last week.

Former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and ex-Union minister Manish Tewari have also been vying for the ticket from Chandigarh.

"She is now looking for her future outside Punjab," Union minister and BJP leader Vijay Sampla said at a separate press conference, without naming anyone.

Meanwhile, both BJP leaders accused the Congress government of having "failed" on all the fronts.

"Debt waiver announced by the Punjab government was a cruel joke with debt-ridden farmers. Against current debt of Rs 90,000 crore, the government has waived minuscule amount of loan of farmers," Sampla claimed.

He also lashed out at the Punjab government for "playing" with the future of SC students while accusing the current regime of not submitting audit report on post-matric scholarship scheme for the students belonging to Scheduled Castes.

"Unless, the state government submits audit report, the next installment of disbursement of funds for the scholarship scheme cannot be disbursed," Sampla said, claiming that the Centre was committed to clear any dues pending towards the scholarship scheme by March 31, 2019.