Bhagwant Mann Asks Navjot Sidhu to Clear His Stand, Denies AAP Approached Congress Leader

AAP leader Bhagwant Mann on Saturday asserted nobody from his party was in touch with Navjot Singh Sidhu and asked the Congress MLA to clear his stand on the reports saying poll strategist Prashant Kishor approached him to take him into AAP.

On Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Kishor has denied to him he was in any discussion with Sidhu to take him into Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the 2022 state polls.

"Sidhu is very much part of our party and he is in touch with our leadership in Delhi," Singh said, adding, "These things unfortunately create confusion."

Mann too said "Sidhu Sahib" should clarify his position on the issue.

"He can clarify on his 'Jittega Punjab' (YouTube channel)," said Mann, replying to a question on Sidhu during a press conference here.

"We have already clarified that neither any of our leaders in Delhi had communicated with him (Sidhu), nor we had communicated with him," said Mann.

However, the Sangrur MP said AAP will welcome anyone who comes to it without any condition and is committed to work for the state.

Sidhu, who had been at the loggerheads with Chief Minister Singh, had resigned last year as a minister after he was stripped off key portfolios in a cabinet reshuffle. He has stayed away from the media since.

Mann also slammed the Centre, accusing it of ruining the farmers with "anti-farmer" ordinances.

He termed the ordinances on agriculture reform brought in by the Modi government as an "attempt to demolish the country's federal structure."

The Centre on Friday notified two key ordinances to kick in agriculture reforms and help farmers trade freely and fetch better prices.

The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020 allows barrier-free trade in agriculture produce outside the notified APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees) mandis.

It proposes to bar state governments from imposing taxes on sale and purchase of farm produce undertaken outside the mandis and give farmers the freedom to sell their produce at remunerative prices.

Whereas the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance 2020 empowers farmers to engage with processors, aggregators, wholesalers, large retailers and exporters through advanced agreements on pre-agreed prices.