AMRITSAR: Opinions are divided on what impact the sentencing of Navjot Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in a road rage case will have on his political career. Even as the cricketer-turned-comedian-turned-politician has already been sulking publicly after being removed from the post of Punjab Congress chief, some believe that road rage incident is not as detrimental in public perception, while others say it would give his rivals a chance to claim that he is unfit for public life as he is “too impulsive” and “out of control”.
Advisor to the former CM Harcharan Singh Brar and a political analyst, Manohar Lal Sharma, says, “One year jail sentence will not be politically detrimental to Sidhu, instead he will turn out to be a hero.” He claims that Sidhu was not involved in a moral turpitude case but a road rage case so the majority of sentiments of people will be in his support.
Sidhu had begun his political career in 2004, when he had returned from Pakistan via Attari international border after completing his commentary assignment for Indo-Pak cricket series. Initially, he was reluctant to contest elections but after the intervention of senior BJP leadership, he contested the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat and defeated the Congress’s old horse late Raghunandal Lal Bhatia, six-time MP. In January 2017, Sidhu shifted loyalty to the Congress.
Reacting to the SC convicting Sidhu, senior SAD functionary and former health minister Anil Joshi, says, “He is bearing the fruits of his own actions.” Joshi opines that it was Sidhu’s ego that had sent him behind bars. “Like a humble persons, he should have apologised to the family of the deceased, but he didn’t and the same thing is happening with him in his political career.”
PPCC general secretary Yoginder Pal Dhingra’s reaction is measured “This is the court’s decision and everyone has to abide by it. Even Sidhu had said the same.” Asked whether it would make any dent in the party’s image, Dhingra says, “This is an old case which doesn’t involve any corruption or major crime, but a road rage incident. It was reviewed several times and could be reviewed in future too.”
A confidant of Sidhu, said on the condition of anonymity: “This decision is certainly going to affect the PPCC’s image, which will be well exploited by the rivals.”.
