Before heading to Kedarnath, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said that Punjab's welfare is paramount for him, adding that there is no greater 'dharm path' than 'kartavya path' (path of duty).
"No greater 'dharm path' than 'kartavya path'. 'Dharm' means to provide food to the poor, spreading joy. It's the message of Mahadev. So I came here to seek blessings, that I could merge my welfare with Punjab's welfare, that Punjab and Punjabis win. We will go to Kedarnath today," Sidhu told reporters here today.
Earlier in the day, Sidhu met party leader Harish Rawat at his residence in Dehradun. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, party's Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh were also there.
Excluding Rawat, all leaders proceeded to Kedarnath Temple to offer prayers.
Meanwhile, Congress is reeling under infighting amongst its Punjab unit. Sidhu on Monday veiled an attack on its government in Punjab over the recent announcement of giving freebies to people ahead of Assembly polls in the state and said that Punjab's welfare comes from a roadmap and not by offering 'lollipops'.
His attack against his own government in Punjab after the chief minister announced 11 per cent hike in dearness allowance for state government employees and slashed power rates by Rs 3 per unit for the domestic sector.
There has been an ongoing rift in the party's Punjab unit for the last several months.
Sidhu had tendered his resignation as Punjab Congress chief on September 28. He was reportedly upset over the bureaucratic setup and his commands not being followed after Cabinet expansion in Punjab. But his resignation was not accepted by the party. Sidhu's resignation as state party chief has intensified the crisis in the Punjab Congress as a minister and three Congress leaders, considered close to him, stepped down from their posts.
This came as a big blow to the Congress that was hoping to resolve the turmoil in the Congress unit of Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections early next year.
Charanjit Singh Channi took oath as the 16th Chief Minister of Punjab on September 20, days after Captain Amarinder Singh stepped down from the post of Punjab Chief Minister following months of infighting between him and Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Amarinder Singh had resigned as Chief Minister on September 18 and had told the media that the Congress leadership had let him down. He had also taken a dig at Sidhu over his resignation, saying he is not a stable man. Recently, he also announced forming his own political party.
Sidhu was made PCC chief by Congress leadership in July to stem infighting in Punjab Congress ahead of next year's assembly polls but the party is now grappling with a fresh crisis.
( With inputs from ANI )
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