If Punjab Cong chief is afraid of me, can throw me out of party: Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar
Chandigarh, Aug 15: A day after the Punjab Congress chief dared him to resign from the party, Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar on Monday said if Amrinder Singh Raja Warring is afraid of him then he can throw him out of the outfit.
He also slammed Warring, calling his outburst against him in public as immaturity while adding that he will continue to work for the welfare of people of his constituency.
Sandeep Jakhar is the nephew of former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar who had joined the BJP after quitting the Congress in May this year.
On Sunday, Warring at a public meeting here on the last leg of the six-day 'Tiranga Yatra' in Abohar had challenged Sandeep Jakhar to resign from the Congress and get a fresh mandate "if he was so confident" about voters' support in Abohar.
For the people of Abohar, it was a double celebration as apart from the 75th anniversary of Independence, they also got "freedom from the Jakhars" who had "grabbed the Congress party as if they had got it on a lifetime lease", Warring had claimed.
Warring had also lashed out at BJP leader Sunil Jakhar, accusing him of betraying the party and sabotaging its prospects in the last Assembly elections.
Responding to Warring's statement against him, Sandeep Jakhar on Monday said, It shows his immaturity.
Jakhar said the Punjab Congress chief had spoken about discipline, asking others not to raise party matters in public.
But, he himself is doing the opposite of what he earlier said, said Jakhar.
If he is afraid of Sandeep Jakhar or he has some allergy from me, or he does not like me and does not want me in the party... He is the president of the party (Punjab unit). It is his jurisdiction, give me a notice and throw me out of the party. Who stops him? Jakhar said.
Jakhar, who is a first-time legislator, said Warring had just before the byelection to Sangrur Lok Sabha poll had said that Sandeep should leave the party and now he again said this.
The Abohar MLA said he does not know whether the party wants him out or Warring wants it.
Jakhar said people of Abohar assembly constituency elected him as legislator.
In our area, we have several issues like the Kinnow crop was damaged, the cotton crop was hit by whitefly pest. I am focusing on my work, said Jakhar.
In June, Punjab Congress Warring had dared Sunil Jakhar to take his nephew along with him to the BJP, to which Sandeep Jakhar had responded, saying the grand old party can expel him but he would not resign.
The Punjab Congress has 18 MLAs in the 117-member state assembly.
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T20 World Cup on back-burner for another few more days: Ten Doeschate
Rajkot (PTI): Indian assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate says the next month’s T20 World Cup is still a "long way" to go and the team’s immediate focus on the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, which is tied 1-1 after the visitors won the second match here.
The defending champions India will co-host the 20-team T20 World Cup starting on February 7, while they are in the middle of a high intensity ODI series with the series-decider slated in Indore on Sunday.
“There’s a real chance that you're so focused on the World Cup that you think, ‘oh, these three games this week just comes and goes’ and we don't learn anything and we don't put our best foot (forward), or we don't put our best performances out there," he said after India lost the second ODI by seven wickets.
“Strategy (wise), I can't see anything that we've had to skirt around in terms of prepping for the (T20) World Cup. We are fully focused on this series. Every series is important. Individually for these players, there's a lot at stake.”
“The World Cup is still a long way away, but (it’s about) building from series to series and getting in good habits, so (we are) trying to manage both and put the excitement of the T20 World Cup just on the back burners for another few more days,” ten Doeschate added.
But he underlined the need to "protect" the players who are part of the T20 World Cup.
“We're very cautious or conscious about not doing that. But at the same time, you do want to protect the guys who are going to play in the T20 World Cup and you are thinking about it.”
The Indian squad has been hit by a string of injuries that has sidelined T20 World Cup-bound Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar.
Ten Doeschate said there shouldn’t have been a situation of Indian players not being able to perform given the two set-ups have different players.
“You’ve got to be able to apply yourself to both situations. Particularly with the two sets of personnel that we have, they're very different so there's no real excuse for not focusing on this,” he said.
A depleted New Zealand side romped home with seven wickets and more than two overs to spare in the second ODI here, a game in which Indian spinners were once again out-bowled by the visitors.
The loss threw the spotlight back on the two Test series defeats at home to the same opponent in 2024-25 and South Africa earlier this season.
“The two home Test series defeats hurt a lot,” ten Doeschate replied when asked if India are no more invincible at home, with South Africa also levelling up the ODIs 1-1.
“To come into a team where the home record is as impeccable as it has been for India, it's tough to front up to those two series losses.”
“The South African series (which ended) 2-1, I presume you're referring to that series in terms of the ODI being close and we find ourselves 1-1 with the game to go. (In) the bilateral series, you're trying to push the envelope at times. You're trying to experiment (but) you're absolutely not saying it's okay to lose. But they sit a little bit more right than the Test match losses.”
“We're always trying to win every game, with managing the medium to long-term prospects of the team as well. But yeah, it's certainly something we need to get back to, to guys really fearing coming in and playing India,” he added.
