Listen To This Post

Chandigarh: A fresh political storm has erupted in Punjab after former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh launched a scathing attack on suspended Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu, dismissing her claim that “Rs 500 crore was demanded for the Chief Minister’s chair” as a “total lie” and branding both her and her husband “unstable.”

In an interview with PTI, Amarinder Singh said Navjot Singh Sidhu was unfit for governance during his tenure as a minister in the Congress government. “That couple is unstable. Navjot Sidhu was my minister. Despite being given two portfolios, he constantly complained. I even gave him the power department, but he quit and left files pending for months. He was not fit for the job,” the former CM said.

Sidhu Hits Back, Questions Amarinder’s ‘Mental Stability’

Reacting sharply, Navjot Kaur Sidhu took to X and questioned Amarinder Singh’s own record, asking:
“Now who’s mentally unstable and needs critical care?” She amplified her rebuttal by sharing a post by former Punjab special chief secretary KBS Sidhu, who described Amarinder Singh’s interview as reflective of a “disgruntled and dejected” leader while criticising his political trajectory and shifting alliances.

Security Demand, Fresh Allegations Against the Mann Government

As the controversy escalated, Kaur sought security cover from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, citing concerns for her safety amid the intensifying political backlash. In a late-night post on X, she accused the AAP government of silence on serious issues she claimed to have raised with Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, alleging that the state administration was “facilitating the liquor and mining mafia.”

“CM Bhagwant Mann ji, I think I need some security now, or else you will be responsible,” she wrote, questioning why there had been no response to her representations. Kaur also shared a memorandum submitted to the Governor, alleging a “land scandal” involving illegal occupation of protected forest land in the Shivalik hills, and accused the government of attempting to regularise encroachments. She further claimed that law and order in Punjab was deteriorating.

Background: Remark That Triggered the Crisis

The controversy began after Kaur told reporters that her husband, former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, would return to active politics only if the Congress named him its chief ministerial face. She claimed that while they lacked the money to buy political power, they could transform Punjab into a “golden state.”

“We always speak for Punjab and Punjabiyat, but we do not have Rs 500 crore to give to sit in the chief minister’s chair,” she had said after meeting the Governor. Her remarks triggered a sharp backlash within the Congress, leading to her suspension from the party’s primary membership. Kaur later issued a clarification on X, saying her comments had been misinterpreted, and that she had meant the Congress never demanded anything from them.

Amarinder’s Political Journey

Amarinder Singh resigned as Punjab Chief Minister in September 2021 amid internal Congress turmoil, later quitting the party, floating his own political outfit, and eventually merging it with the BJP in 2022.

With personal attacks, security concerns, and allegations flying thick and fast, the episode has exposed deep fault lines in Punjab’s opposition politics, even as questions grow over leadership credibility, internal discipline, and the increasingly combative political discourse in the state.