Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh meets Amit Shah in Delhi

Days after his exit from the government, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday. This is his first meeting after his resignation on September 18. The meeting lasted almost an hour and Singh did not speak to the media after the meeting. The meeting comes amidst speculations of his joining the BJP ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections. Amarinder Singh's media advisor Raveen Thukra on Tuesday had said Singh was on a personal visit to the national capital.

 

Amarinder had resigned amid a bitter power tussle with Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. After resigning as Punjab chief minister, Amarinder Singh had said he felt humiliated. He had called Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra inexperienced. He had also dubbed Sidhu as "anti-national" and "dangerous". He had indicated he was still keeping his political options open, adding that he was talking to his friends before deciding on his future course of action. “You can be old at 40 and young at 80”, he had said, making it clear that he did not see his age as a hurdle.

 

Navjot Singh Sidhu, has also vacated his post as the president of PPCC on September 28. Sidhu was appointed PPCC chief only on July 19 this year; the Congress High Command has not accepted his resignation. Sidhu was formerly a Rajya Sabha MP with the BJP and resigned from the party in 2016.

 

The present Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday allocated portfolios to the new ministers, keeping 14 departments with himself and giving home affairs to deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and health to other Deputy OP Soni.

 

Badal asked the new chief minister to conduct himself befitting the dignity of the office he holds.

 

The Congress on Thursday termed former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's outburst against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as one out of anger and hoped he would reconsider his words as they do not suit his stature. The party also refused to comment on whether Singh would leave the party after his "unceremonious" exit as the chief minister of Punjab, and said "if someone wants to leave, we have no comment to offer". Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said Amarinder Singh is an elder and may have stated things out of anger.

 

"He is our elder and the elderly often get angry and say a lot of things. We respect his anger, age and experience. We hope he does reconsider his words. But, there is no space in politics for anger, envy, enmity, vendetta and personal attacks and comments against political opponents," she told reporters.

 

(With PTI inputs)