Amarinder, Bajwa spar over Rahul’s elevation

NEW DELHI: The ongoing verbal feud between former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa turned bitter on Sunday as the two exchanged heated words over the elevation of Rahul Gandhi.

It started with Amarinder suggesting in interviews to various TV news channels that Congress president Sonia Gandhi should continue to lead the party as Rahul needed more time to gain experience.

Bajwa attacked Amarinder for unleashing “calculated and calibrated design to scuttle and sabotage” Rahul’s elevation as party chief.

“Sonia Gandhi is our most revered and respected leader who will continue to be the guiding force while Rahul would initiate the drive to mobilise all sections of society and the youth in particular to meet the new challenges and attune the oldest political organisation in the country accordingly. Generational change is part of the evolutionary process and the Congress has adhered to it from time to time,” he said.

Amarinder soon hit back, asking Bajwa to “mind his own business and not distort his stand” on the leadership issue. “Bajwa is trying to be more loyal than the king without actually understanding the ground situation,” he said. “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread and that is precisely what Bajwa is fond of doing and is trying to do again.”

Amarinder reiterated that he was never against Rahul taking over the reins and would never be.