Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday defended his wife's remarks blaming the state Congress leadership for denying her a ticket from Amritsar.

Navjot Kaur, a former Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Amritsar (East), on May 14 blamed the Chief Minister for denying her a Lok Sabha ticket either from Chandigarh or Amritsar.

She said Sidhu would not campaign for his party in his home state as the Chief Minister has told him not to do so.

Hours after his wife's claim, Sidhu said at an election rally in Bathinda in the presence of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Amarinder Singh that he would be returning to Punjab on May 17 to deliver a "knockout punch" to the Badals.

Amid reports that the Minister's health was not allowing him to campaign, his wife also blamed Asha Kumari for not allowing Sidhu to campaign in Punjab.

"Captain Saab is our smaller captain and (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi is our bigger captain and he has given duty to him (Sidhu) in other states and Navjot is busy campaigning there," she told reporters in Amritsar city.

"When Captain saab and Asha Kumari have taken the lead role in ensuring victory of the party in all (13) seats, then what is the need for Navjot (Sidhu) to campaign in Punjab?"

--IANS

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