Chandigarh: Following Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's 'captain remark' on Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a Congress MP from Ludhiana on Sunday demanded the former's apology. He questioned why the cricketer-turned-politician is hesitating in apologising if he considers the Chief Minister his father.
The Congress MP further claimed that the streets in Ludhiana are filled with posters which say 'Punjab's captain is our captain'.
"All the streets in Ludhiana are filled with posters that say 'Punjab's captain is our captain'. This is people's sentiment. Navjot Singh Sidhu should apologise. If he considers CM his father, why is he hesitating in apologising?" Ludhiana Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu said.
Ludhiana Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu: All the streets in Ludhiana are filled with posters that say 'Punjab's captain is our captain'. This is people's sentiment. Navjot Singh Sidhu should apologise. If he considers CM his father, why is he hesitating in apologising?.#Punjab pic.twitter.com/MUzxOKP0MO
— ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2018
Sidhu has been facing flak since the time he said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also the 'captain' of Captain Amarinder Singh.
Many more Punjab ministers condemned Sidhu over his jibe at Amarinder Singh demanding his apology, even as the former cricketer's wife said his statement was being twisted and taken out of context.
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 - had called for Sidhu's resignation from the state cabinet.
On Sunday, state's Women and Child Development and Transport Minister Aruna Chaudhary said Sidhu's remark was "unforunate" 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-Pakistan War.
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 entire Congress, no one is disputing this fact. But what Sidhu has said about captain sahib is unfortunate."
Two days back, Sidhu had mocked Amarinder Singh in Hyderabad when reporters asked him about going to Pakistan, to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kartarpur corridor, despite his disapproval.
"Rahul Gandhi is my captain. It is he who sent me to Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi is the captain of the captain (Amarinder Singh) also," Sidhu had then said.
(With inputs from agencies)
