A day after she was suspended from the party following her "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark that sparked a political row, Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Tuesday claimed that she has the support of 70 percent of the Punjab Congress and 90 percent of the All India Congress Committee.
Kaur also attacked Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for serving a legal notice on her for her alleged defamatory remarks against him and accused him of selling party tickets in Rajasthan and also having links with smugglers.
Randhawa on Tuesday served a legal notice on Kaur, asking her to apologise for making "defamatory" remarks against him or face legal action.
Kaur is the wife of former Punjab Congress president and ex-India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu. On Monday, the Punjab Congress suspended her from primary membership for her alleged "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark that sparked a political row.
Replying to a question on her suspension, Kaur said this notice came from a state president who does not have any recognition and said many such notices are issued.
Speaking to reporters in Patiala, Kaur said she was in touch with the party high command.
"Proper discussion is taking place with the party (high command). But we have a condition that we will not support 'chor' (thieves).
"If we want to form the government, there are four-five people in the Congress who are destroying the party. If you are ready to sideline them, then we will think," she said without naming anyone.
Asked whether she had the Congress' support after her suspension, she said, "I have full support."
She said, "More than 70 percent Punjab Congress is with me and 90 percent AICC is with me."
Asked whether she spoke to high command after action was taken against her, she said, "I will not share anything now."
Lashing out at Randhawa, Kaur alleged that the Congress MP never raised a voice against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann nor raised any law and order issue.
"Randhawa, who is trying to speak a lot, cannot ensure the victory of his wife (in Dera Baba Nanak bypoll). You stabbed him (Navjot Sidhu) in his back.
"You have links with smugglers. In Rajasthan, he took money for tickets," she alleged while slamming Randhawa, who is also the party's in-charge of Rajasthan.
She accused Randhawa of compromising with Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia during the 2022 assembly elections.
Kaur said she raised issues concerning Punjab including law and order and land occupied by certain people in the Shivalik Range with the Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
"I wanted Rahul Gandhi to come here and take up these issues and become a hero but people around him misguided him. In the meantime, the governor gave me time for the meeting where I wanted Gandhi to give representation because it is an issue of the victory of Punjab," she said.
She claimed Rahul's PAs did not let him come. She alleged that certain party leaders "bought" the PAs of Rahul.
They distribute money so as to keep the Sidhu family away, she further alleged.
She said she was asked why they did not become the chief minister when all of Punjab wanted it. To this, she replied that to become the chief minister, Rs 500 crore is needed and "we do not have that Rs 500 crore".
She further said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Income Tax may even investigate Navjot Singh Sidhu. "We are open. We neither have black money nor have we bought properties in Punjab," she said.
Asked if the high command will support her, she said, "I spoke the truth."
Replying to a question, Kaur said, "We will form the government in 2027 for Punjab and Punjabiyat."
She charged that many tickets in Punjab for polls have already been "sold".
"Anil Joshi joined it (the Congress) after giving money. And it is learnt that he is going back to the Akali Dal after being frustrated," she claimed.
Asked if the Sidhu family remained silent for four years, she said that after she was declared cancer-free by doctors, she returned to politics and met people and became their voice.
To another question, she said, "We will never compromise on those grounds where we cannot protect Punjab and Punjabiyat."
Asked if her husband is declared the chief ministerial face, would he return to active politics, she said, "I can convince him."
She said at present, Sidhu is staying away from the latest developments. He was earlier accused of destroying the Congress and then he kept himself away, she said.
On Monday, Kaur had launched an offensive against Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, alleging, "I refuse to stand with an insensitive and irresponsible, morally dishonest and corrupt president."
"I stand up for all my brothers and sisters who have been hurt by his incompetence and irresponsible behaviour. I refuse to accept him as a president. I wonder why CM is shielding him," she had said.