'Punjab Lok Congress': Amarinder Singh announces name of his new party, sends seven-page resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi

The former Punjab Chief Minister said the party symbol will be approved later.

File Photo (PTI)

New Delhi: Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday (November 2, 2021) sent a seven-page resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The former Punjab Chief Minister also announced that the 'Punjab Lok Congress' will be his new party's name.

Taking to his official Twitter account, the veteran leader said, "I have today sent my resignation to INC President Ms Sonia Gandhi ji, listing my reasons for the resignation. 'Punjab Lok Congress' is the name of the new party. The registration is pending approval with the ECI. The party symbol will be approved later."

In the resignation letter, Singh listed out his achievements as chief minister and slammed the Gandhis for a 'conspiracy' to oust him from the state government. He also lashed out at Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and senior party leader Harish Rawat.

He told Sonia Gandhi that despite knowing him 'for the better part of his 52 years in public life' and 'that too at a deeply personal level', she never 'understood' him or his 'character'.

"You thought I was getting on in years and should be put to pasture. I am neither tired nor retired. I feel I have a lot to give and contribute to my beloved Punjab. I intend to soldier on and not fade away," wrote Singh.

pic.twitter.com/FDWP5pjn1V — Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 2, 2021

Expressing his anguish over Sidhu being given the charge of the Punjab Congress chief, he said, "Despite my profound reservations and over the unanimous advice of almost all MPs from Punjab, you chose to appoint an acolyte of the Pakistani deep state Navjot Sidhu who had publicly hugged the Pakistan Army chief Gen Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan." 

"Khan and Bajwa are the people responsible for sending terrorists across the border to kill Indians," he said.

Hitting out at the cricketer-turned-politician, Amarinder wrote, "Sidhu's only claim to fame was that he would abuse me and my government on a regular basis. I am old enough to be his father but that did not stop him from using the filthiest and most vile language against me both publicly and privately."

He also accused Rahul and Priyanka of 'patronising' Sidhu.

"Unfortunately, rather than being reined in, he was patronised by Rahul and Priyanka, while you chose to turn a blind eye to the shenanigans of this gentleman who was aided and abetted by the general secretary in-charge Harish Rawat, perhaps the most dubious individual I had the occasion to make acquaintance off," Captain said.

The development comes ahead of the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. 

Singh, notably, had resigned in September as the Punjab CM and had announced that he will be quitting the Congress after months of a rift with the party's state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. The 78-year old had told the media that the Congress leadership had let him down. Captain was then replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief minister.

Meanwhile, infighting in Punjab Congress continues as Sidhu on Tuesday slammed Channi for promising 'lollipops'. The state Congress chief said that Punjab's welfare comes from a roadmap and not by tactics. His attack against his own government in Punjab came after the chief minister announced an 11 per cent hike in dearness allowance for state government employees and slashed power rates by Rs 3 per unit for the domestic sector.

"Give people `lollipops` in the last two months. The question is from where they will (government) give it? Is the objective just to form government by telling lies and making false promises? Way of Punjab`s welfare comes from a roadmap," Sidhu said.

(With agency inputs)