A day after he resigned as Punjab Congress chief citing his inability to “compromise”, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday expressed his displeasure over the appointment of the new Director-General of Police (DGP), Advocate General (AG), tainted ministers and said he was ready to sacrifice anything for the issues raised by him.

In an over four-minute video posted on his Twitter account, Sidhu said he was in politics to make a difference and take stand on issues. “My fight is for principles and the agenda for Punjab. There cannot be any compromise on this. I will follow the path of truth and morals. My first work is to fight for justice in Punjab for which people are eagerly waiting for,” he said.

Sidhu said his 17-year political career has been for the betterment of the people of Punjab. “My fight is for issues and agenda for Punjab. It’s my religion. My father told me to follow the path of truth and not compromise on morals,”.

Referring to the apportionment of the new DGP, AG, tainted ministers and officers by the Charanjit Singh Channi government, Sidhu said he was witnessing a “compromise” being made.

“The person who gave clean chit to the Badals six years back has been given the responsibility (of DGP). Those who have blanket bails to (accused in sacrilege cases) have been given the responsibility (of AG). What’s the agenda? How will we achieve our aim? I can neither mislead high command nor let them get mislead. I am fighting the battle for Punjab’s betterment. We broke the system of tainted officers and ministers, the same system cannot be erected again. I oppose it. I will stand and fight against it. If I lose everything for it, be it,” Sidhu said. In the end, he quoted famous Urdu poet Waseem Barelvi’s lines “Usoolon pe jahaan aanch aaye takrana zaroori hai, Jo zinda ho to phir zinda nazar aana zaroori hai (it is necessary to fight when your principles are in danger, you must look alive if you are alive indeed)”.

Sources close to Sidhu said the Congress leader was unhappy with the Congress high command over the induction of four ministers, including Rana Gurjeet Singh as Cabinet ministers. Rana Gurjeet had earlier resigned from the Congress government following corruption charges against him in the allotment of sand mines to his ex-employees.

Questioning the new DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota’s appointment, Sidhu said the man who gave a clean chit to those behind the sacrilege in Punjab has been given the top post in police. Sahota was the head of a special investigation team formed in 2015 by then Parkash Singh Badal government to probe sacrilege incidents.

Then Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, accompanied by then DGP Sumedh Saini and Sahota, had announced that the probe had led to the arrest of two youths who received funds from abroad to carry out the protests against sacrilege, which had also led to police firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura.

These claims, however, proved false within a month and the youths had to be freed. Due to the backlash, the Akalis replaced DGP Saini with Suresh Arora and Prabodh Kumar replaced Sahota.

Sidhu also questioned the appointment of new AG Amar Preet Singh Deol over the fact that he secured blanket bail for former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini from arrest in all the four FIRs registered against him by the Punjab Police till the Assembly elections in the state, due in February 2022.