More Punjab Ministers on Sunday criticised Navjot Singh Sidhu over his jibe at Amarinder Singh, demanding he apologise to the Chief Minister and “learn how to respect elders”, even as the former cricketer’s wife said his statement was being twisted.
On Saturday, three Ministers — Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Sports Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi — called for Mr. Sidhu’s resignation from the State Cabinet.
‘Unfortunate’
On Sunday, the State’s Women and Child Development and Transport Minister Aruna Chaudhary said, “What Navjot Singh Sidhu said about Captain Amarinder Singh is unfortunate. Such things should not have been said by him,” she said.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was in the Army and served as a captain during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War.
Ms. Chaudhary said, “Capt. Amarinder Singh is our undisputed leader. He is captain of the party in the State. He was chief ministerial candidate in the last Assembly elections and, under him, the party returned to power with an overwhelming majority. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi is captain of the entire Congress, no one is disputing this fact. But what Mr. Sidhu has said about Captain sahib is unfortunate.”
Mr. Sidhu had mocked Capt. Singh’s disapproval of his recent visit to Pakistan with, “Rahul Gandhi is my captain. It is he who sent me to Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi is the captain of the Captain [Amarinder Singh] also.”