Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar launched a scathing attack on the Congress leadership on Sunday, December 7, 2025, reigniting his claim that he was denied the chief minister's post in 2021 because of his Hindu faith. His comments came a day after former Congress MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu suggested her husband, Navjot Singh Sidhu, would only be politically active if declared the party's CM face.
"I Failed the Preliminary Round": Jakhar's Allegation of Religious Bias
Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Jakhar presented a sharp critique of the Congress's internal selection process. "The Congress has many criteria to make people eligible for becoming CM… I failed in the preliminary round only, but Sidhu passes that preliminary round," he stated. He clarified that this "preliminary round" was a reference to religion, implying that Sidhu, being a Sikh, met that criterion while he, a Hindu, did not.
Jakhar reiterated his long-standing allegation that after Captain Amarinder Singh's resignation in September 2021, senior Congress leader Ambika Soni had objected to a Hindu becoming Punjab's chief minister. Despite claiming the support of 40-42 Congress MLAs at the time, the position went to Charanjit Singh Channi. Jakhar left the Congress and joined the BJP in May 2022, later becoming the state BJP chief in July 2023.
Sidhu's CM Demand and the "Suitcase" Politics
Jakhar's remarks were a direct response to Navjot Kaur Sidhu's statements from Saturday. After meeting Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to discuss law and order, she had told reporters that the Sidhu couple had "no money to offer any party" but could deliver results. "We don't have Rs 500 crore to give just to sit in the chief minister’s chair," she said, adding that if any party gave Sidhu the power to improve Punjab, they would turn it into a "golden Punjab."
Responding to this, Jakhar made a counter-allegation about corruption within the Congress. "Yes, I did hear this statement of Rs 500 crore of Navjot Kaur Sidhu but what I heard was from the horse’s mouth (in the Congress) that they got the CM’s post for Rs 350 crore," he claimed. While stating he had no audio proof, he referenced an old tweet from former Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa calling Congress leaders "daaku" (robbers) who still hold power.
Jakhar Slams AAP Government on Deteriorating Law & Order
Expanding his criticism beyond the Congress, Jakhar launched a fierce attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government and the Punjab Police. He accused the police of harboring "black sheep" and "uniformed extortionists" and asserted that only the BJP had the will to discipline them and restore peace.
He mocked Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's warning to gangsters to leave Punjab within seven days, issued on November 7. "But instead of leaving, gangsters have openly accepted his challenge and are committing crimes every single day — while Kejriwal himself has not been seen in Punjab since then," Jakhar said. He listed recent shootings, robberies, and ransom cases, questioning the efficacy of a police force top-heavy with 17 DGP-rank and 13 ADGP-rank officers.
Jakhar further alleged that after the failure of the land pooling policy, the police have been used for "illegal extortion." He cited the jail interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and the recent arrest of a Punjab Police officer, DIG Harcharn Singh Bhullar, by a central agency in a money extortion case as evidence of systemic rot. He promised firm action against such elements if the BJP is voted to power.
