Navjot Singh Sidhu resigns as Punjab minister

Navjot Singh Sidhu

New Delhi: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday announced his resignation as minister from the Punjab Cabinet.

Sidhu, who was given Power and New and Renewable Energy Sources ministry after a cabinet reshuffle in June, today shared his resignation letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi.

"My letter to the Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, submitted on 10 June 2019," he tweeted.

The Congress leader chose to submit his resignation letter to Gandhi instead of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Almost 30 minutes after the first tweet, Sidhu posted, " Will be sending my resignation to the Chief Minister, Punjab."

However, it is unclear as to why the resignation was not sent to the chief minister in the last one month.

"I hereby resign as Minister from the Punjab Cabinet," he stated in his letter to Gandhi.

Singh and Sidhu have been at loggerheads since his controversial visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan where he had hugged the Army Chief leading to a huge controversy back home.

The rift was further widened during the general elections when Sidhu and his wife accused Amarinder of having had a hand in the denial of ticket to her to from either Chandigarh or Amritsar.

On June 6, the Congress leader was stripped of the portfolios of Local Government and Tourism and Culture by the Chief Minister after the party could only win eight parliamentary seats out of 13 in the state in Lok Sabha election.

"We swim and we sink together... It is a collective responsibility. My department has been singled out publicly. One must have the ability to see things from the right perspective. I cannot be taken for granted. I have been a performer throughout. I am answerable to the people of Punjab," he said.

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