Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday, in a bid to calm down the controversy surrounding his remark, ‘Amarinder Singh is an Army Captain’, said that he “loved” the Punjab Chief Minister who is a “fatherly figure” to him.
Refusing to talk about the issue, Sidhu said, “You don’t want to wash dirty linen in public. He (Capt Amarinder Singh) is a fatherly figure, I love him, I respect him, I will sort it out myself”.
Punjab Congress leaders have been demanding cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation for his remark against Amarinder Singh after he returned home from Pakistan after attending the Kartarpur Corridor ground-breaking ceremony.
Sidhu had underlined that Rahul Gandhi was his captain. This was seen as a huge jibe at the Punjab CM by Sidhu’s detractors.
“My captain is Rahul Gandhi. He has sent me everywhere. Our captain’s captain is Rahul Gandhi,” he had quipped.
The Congress party has reportedly asked Sidhu to not defy or speak against Amarinder Singh.
Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur on Sunday claimed her husband’s comment has been misinterpreted.
“Navjot (Sidhu) ji has repeatedly said that Captain Sahab is like his father,” said Kaur.
“We have always made it clear that Captain Sahab’s respect and honour is above everything. Sidhu’s statements should be read as a whole and not in incomplete bits,” she added.
This comment came a day after at least five Punjab ministers criticised Sidhu for his remark and suggesting him to resign from his post in Amarinder Singh government if he could not look upon him as the leader.
The women and child development and transport minister Aruna Chaudhary on Sunday Sidhu’s remark was “unfortunate” and “uncalled for”.
“What Navjot Singh Sidhu said about Capt Amarinder Singh is unfortunate. Such things should not have been said by him,” she said.
Amarinder Singh was in the Army and served as a captain during the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
“Capt Amarinder Singh is our undisputed leader. He is captain of the party in the state. He was the chief ministerial candidate in the last assembly polls and under him, the party returned to power with an overwhelming majority. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi is captain of entire Congress, no one is disputing this fact. But what Sidhu said about captain is unfortunate,” she said.
The forests minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot also demanded Sidhu apologise to the chief minister. He also reminded him he was not running a comedy show. Sidhu had been a part of a popular TV comedy show aired in India.
“It seems Sidhu sahib has forgotten that he is a minister. He should know he is not running a comedy show here. He must learn how to respect the elders and seek an apology from the chief minister,” Dharamsot said.
Earlier on Saturday, state rural development minister Tript Rajinder Bajwa said
“Rahul is the captain of the entire Congress but Amarinder is the undisputed leader of the Punjab Congress,”.
“The tone and body language used by Sidhu for the CM was humiliating and disgusting. He has no moral right to continue as a minister,” he added.