Chandigarh, Sep 22 (UNI) Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he is ready to make any sacrifice to stop Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu from becoming chief minister of the state, and called party leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi "inexperienced" and "misguided".
"I am ready to make any sacrifice to stop Sidhu from becoming Punjab CM. I will pit a strong person against him to ensure his defeat in the 2022 Assembly polls. If Sidhu is the CM face, then it will be a big thing if Punjab Congress touches double digits," Singh, who resigned from the chief minister's post on Saturday, said.
In a series of tweets, his media advisor Raveen Thukral quoted the former chief minister and veteran Congress leader, who had slammed the party leadership over their decisions, as warning the party that it will be defeated in the next polls if Sidhu is the CM face.
"I was prepared to leave politics after victory but never after a loss. Had offered my resignation to Sonia Gandhi three weeks back but she asked me to continue. Had she called me and told me to step down, would have done so," Singh said.
"If Sidhu behaves as super CM, Congress won't function. Under his leadership, it would be a big thing if INC India manages to touch double digits in Punjab polls," he said.
While stating that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi were like his "children", Amarinder said they were inexperienced and were being misled.
"Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are like my children. This should not have ended like this. I'm hurt. Fact is the Gandhi siblings are inexperienced and their advisors are clearly misguiding them," he said.
He also slammed Congress leaders over central interference in appointment of Cabinet in the state.
"How can KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken or RS Surjewala decide who's right for which ministry. When I was CM, I called the shots and appointed my own ministers based not on their caste but their effectiveness," Singh said.
Singh, who was accused of being soft on the Badals, also challenged the new government to take action against the Shiromani Akali Dal leaders.
"They (Sidhu etc) complained against me for not taking arbitrary action against the Badals, B.S. Majithia, and going by the rule of law. Now they're are in power, let them throw the Akali Dal leaders behind bars if they can... I was attacked for not taking action against ministers allegedly involved in the mining mafia. Those very ministers are now with the new Punjab Congress and the state government," he said.
He added that if Sidhu behaves as super CM, Punjab Congress won't function.
Singh resigned as the Punjab chief minister on Saturday, miffed after a meeting of Congress Legislature Party was called by the central leadership.
After tendering his resignation, he said he was feeling "humiliated", and also warned the party against appointing Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu as the state CM.
Charanjit Singh Channi was appointed the new state chief minister. He is the first scheduled caste CM of Punjab.
UNI AO SC