Punjab Congress row: Harish Rawat to meet Rahul Gandhi today

Amid the ongoing turf war in the party's state unit, the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat will meet party leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday.

The meeting is going to take place at 11 am today.

On Friday, Rawat met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and reportedly sought to be relieved as the party's in-charge of Punjab. He wants to be relieved from the post so that he can focus on assembly polls in Uttarakhand due next year.

Meanwhile, the senior Congress leader on Friday said the leader of the party's Punjab unit should act in a manner so that they are not misinterpreted, which in turn may harm the party.

Briefing media persons, the Congress veteran said, "I will meet Sonia ji and Rahul ji to apprise them about all the matter. Punjab leaders should act accordingly so that their actions and statements do not get misinterpreted. It will harm the party, especially Punjab Congress."

Rawat's remarks came after Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said that if he was not allowed to take decisions he will not spare anyone.

"I have told the high command that if you do not let me take decisions, I will not spare anyone (ent se ent baja dunga)...I do not want to be a showhorse. Decisions are required to be taken. No state can develop without industry. International trade should start. The people of Punjab are in despair. If I had to put my life on the line, I would not back down," Sidhu said at an event in Amritsar.

Earlier, Rawat had met a delegation of the 'Sidhu group' of the Congress' Punjab unit. The delegation included four ministers and three MLAs.

A section of Punjab Congress leaders raised a banner of revolt against Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and said the change should be made in the state if needed.

Navjot Singh Sidhu was appointed Punjab Congress chief last month amid efforts by the party's central leadership to end factionalism in the state unit. The assembly elections in Punjab are due early next year.

(ANI)