Describing former Punjab Chief Minister Captain (Retired) Amarinder Singh’s comments against Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as one made in anger, the Congress on Thursday hoped he would reconsider his words as it didn’t suit his stature and there was no place for “anger in politics”.
Responding to those comments, Mr. Singh was quoted by his media advisor as asking if there was “space for humiliation and insult in politics”.
Addressing a press briefing, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate was asked a series of questions on Mr. Singh’s outburst against the Gandhi siblings on Wednesday and if he was planning to leave the party after his “unceremonious exit”.
Ms. Shrinate said the party had no comments if someone wants to leave and that Captain Amarinder is an elder and may have stated things out of anger.
Cutting the captain: On Congress and Punjab
“He is our elder and the elderly often get angry and say a lot of things. We respect his anger, age and experience. We hope he does reconsider his words. But there is no space in politics for anger, envy, enmity, vendetta and personal attacks and comments against political opponents,” she told reporters.
“We hope he will rethink on his own words while showing prudence, as he has remained a stalwart of the Congress party, which made him the Chief Minister for nine years and nine months,” Ms. Shrinate said.
“Yes, there’s no space for anger in politics. But is there space for humiliation and insult in a grand old party like Congress? If a senior party leader like me can be treated like this, I wonder what the workers must go through!” Mr. Singh was quoted by Raveen Thukral, who served as the media advisor to the former Punjab Chief Minister.
On Wednesday, Mr. Singh, in a series of media interviews, had called the Gandhi siblings as ‘inexperienced’ and made it clear that he would strongly oppose Punab unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, whom he accused of behaving like a “super CM” with the newly appointed Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi “simply nodding along”.
