Amid differences between Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and newly-appointed PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu, a tweet by CM’s media advisor Raveen Thukral on behalf of the Captain and a statement by senior Punjab Minister and No. 2 in the state cabinet, Brahm Mohindra, on Tuesday pushed the rift in the Punjab Congress to new heights.
Raveen Thukral tweeted, “Reports of @sherryontop seeking time to meet @capt_amarinder are totally false. No time has been sought whatsoever. No change in stance… CM won’t meet #NavjotSinghSidhu till he publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him.”
Meanwhile, Brahm Mahindra welcomed the appointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the PPCC president, but ruled out a personal meeting with him till he resolves his issues with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. With this development, it’s now official that there are differences between Captain and Sidhu and until these are not resolved, the confrontation and factionalism in the Punjab Congress will continue.
In a statement Brahm Mohindra said the decision to appoint Sidhu had been taken by the high command and is welcome. “However, I will not meet him (Sidhu) till he meets the Chief Minister and resolves his issues with him,” said Mohindra, adding that the Captain Amarinder Singh is the leader of the Congress legislative party and he (Mohindra) is duty bound to follow him.