Sidhu meets Capt, clears air on ‘my captain’ row
CHANDIGARH : Back from New Delhi after thumping electoral victory of Congress in three states, Punjab local government minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday called on chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
This was the first meeting between the two leaders after an unsavoury controversy erupted last month over Pakistan's invite for the groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor, which Amarinder had declined. Sidhu went to Pakistan despite Amarinder asking him to reconsider his decision and later called Rahul Gandhi his captain at a press conference in Hyderabad. It sent Amarinder loyalists gunning for Sidhu and the party's central leadership had to step in to end the controversy by asking both sides to refrain from making public statements.
During his half-an-hour long meeting with the CM, Sidhu also cleared the air on the "my captain" remark. The CM dismissed it too, saying it was "blown out of proportion by the media". Sidhu, who had been recuperating from injury to his vocal cords due to hectic poll campiagning, enquired about the health of Amarinder and wished him a speedy recovery.
Sidhu also gifted the CM a stuffed partridge brought from Pakistan. The CM's ringtone is a singing partridge. Both the leaders discussed results of recentlyconcluded state elections and party's prospects in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Kartarpur corridor, which Amarinder has on Sunday called a "conspiracy of the Pak army" did not figure in the talks.
According to a party insider, it was the first time Amarinder met Sidhu one-to-one and Sidhu was able to clear some past misgivings.
After the meeting, Sidhu told the media that he could not meet the CM after winding up the poll campaign as he was advised rest by his doctors. He hailed the poll verdict as beginning of a new era under the leadership of Rahul.
He stood his ground on the Kartarpur corridor saying it will not only open doors of peace but also change lives of farmers of the two nations.
Sidhu later left for the wedding of actor Kapil Sharma, who hosted a popular comedy show featuring him.