No comment if Amarinder wants to leave, says Congress; Punjab ex-CM says this isn't the way to treat senior leaders

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 23

In a major rebuff to former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, the Congress on Thursday said it had no comment if someone wanted to leave the party.

Also read: Ready to make any sacrifice to stop Navjot Sidhu becoming CM: Capt Amarinder

Speculation as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka, Jakhar leave for Delhi“There is no place for anger, jealousy, envy, personal comments or a sense of revenge in politics,” the Congress said reacting to Singh’s comment on Wednesday that he would not let Navjot Sidhu become chief minister of Punjab at any cost and would field a strong candidate against him.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, considered close to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Thursday said Singh hopefully would reconsider his remarks in light of the fact that the “Congress made him CM for nine and a half years”.

Shrinate said the Congress was fighting an ideological war and would stand by those who wanted to fight this way.

“If he wants to leave, I have no comments on that,” Shrinate said, in a rare public rebuff to any party veteran.

After Shrinate said there was no place for anger in politics, Singh responded through media adviser Raveen Thukral saying there was no place for anger in politics but there was place for humiliation in the Congress.

“Yes, there’s no space for anger in politics. But is there space for humiliation & insult in a grand old party like @INCIndia? If a senior party leader like me can be treated like this, I wonder what the workers must go through!’”

Amarinder on Wednesday had called the Gandhi siblings “inexperienced and misguided by their advisers”.