Amritsar: Newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Navjot Singh Sidhu along with party leaders, offers prayers at Golden temple in Amritsar, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. | (PTI Photo)
Soon after taking charge as the chief of Punjab Congress, Navjot Singh Sidhu has faced the heat from farmer union Samyukta Kisan Morcha over the "thirsty walks to the well" remark he made on Friday. While expressing his desire to meet the farmers' unions, Sidhu had said, "The thirsty walks to the well. The well does not go to the thirsty." However, this statement does not seems to have gone down well with the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the union of 40 farmers' outfits spearheading the ongoing agitation against Centre's farm laws.
According to India Today report, the farmer union group on Monday slammed Navjot Singh Sidhu for his remarks. Besides in the wake od his remark, the union has also decided to hold a demonstration against what they term Sidhu's "anti-farmer" comments.
On Saturday, the newly appointed Punjab chief also faced protests at Rupnagar when a group of farmers reportedly showed him black flags. The Congress leader was in Rupnagar to visit a local Gurudwara.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Manjeet Singh Rai said that Sidhu's remarks are arrogant. "He expects that farmers should come to him. He insulted the farmers," Rai added.
The farmers' union also said that the 2022 Punjab polls will show "who is thirsty and who is the well".
Taking note of the remark, the opposition parties Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have also demanded an apology from Navjot Singh Sidhu over his remarks.
However, Navjot Singh Sidhu has now offered to meet the farmers' union and clarified that his remarks were 'misunderstood' and presented from a 'wrong perspective'.
He even said that he would go barefoot to meet the protesting farmers.
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