New Delhi: Parampal Kaur Sidhu, the daughter-in-law of Akali Dal leader Sikandar Singh Maluka, recently joined the BJP in New Delhi. However, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Thursday that her resignation from her IAS post has not been approved by the state government yet. Sidhu, along with her husband, became a member of the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde in the capital city.
Following her resignation, the chief secretary forwarded it to the chief minister for his consent. Sidhu held the position of managing director at the Punjab State Industrial Corporation.
Mann stated in a post on X that "Parampal Kaur ji's resignation as IAS officer has not been accepted by the Punjab government...Biba ji (Sidhu) was in such a hurry to become an IAS earlier... but there is some procedure to leave. Please understand the procedure for resigning. Otherwise, your entire earnings may be at risk."
Contrarily, Union Minister Puri in Delhi claimed that her resignation was accepted on Wednesday. Sources also revealed that the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training, the competent authority, accepted her resignation on the same day.
As per the guidelines for processing resignations, the concerned state cadre provides information about any dues against the member of service and the officer’s vigilance status while forwarding the resignation application to the central government for acceptance.
Mann expressed in a statement that Sidhu was so impatient to step into politics that her resignation has not been accepted yet, but she is “restless” to participate in elections.
Mann emphasized that it is the chief minister’s responsibility to decide when and how to accept the resignation. He added that there are certain rules and regulations that must be adhered to in every situation. He clarified that an officer’s resignation is not accepted immediately upon submission; it takes some time.
Mann disclosed that the government is probing the reasons behind Sidhu’s resignation. He warned that if her intention and purpose of resigning are found to be inappropriate in the investigation, then she will face consequences.
Sidhu, an IAS officer from the 2011 batch, submitted her resignation a few days ago amidst rumors that she might join the BJP. She was due to retire in October this year. There is speculation that she might be nominated from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Sidhu is the daughter-in-law of Maluka, a senior Akali Dal leader and former minister. Maluka is a member of the SAD’s manifesto committee formed for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
