Dropped from the Cabinet, two former Ministers — Balbir Singh Sidhu and Gurpreet Singh Kangar — on Sunday questioned the decision to “humiliate” them by the treatment meted out to them by the party.
Both Sidhu and Kangar, who were among the five Ministers dropped from the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Cabinet, have written to the party high command to express their displeasure at being left out. Alleging that they have been subjected to gross injustice despite giving their best performances as Ministers, they asked the reasons due to which they were ignored by the high command.
“If the high command would have asked for our resignations 10 days before, we would have resigned on our own. What has been done is quite embarrassing and humiliating as well,” said Sidhu, who has been on the frontline since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former Health and Family Welfare Minister Sidhu also broke down while pointing that he has given 30 years to the party and even faced a CBI inquiry. Asking for justice, Sidhu said that the work done during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic under him was even recognized by the Central Government, which praised the model created by him.
Kangar said that his loyalty towards the former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder has cost him dearly which is not fair as every soldier has to be loyal to his commander.
“Now, as a Congress soldier, I owe my allegiance to the present Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. But if the loyalty to the party causes the kind of outcome that has happened in my case in Congress, then it is really sad. The high command should answer why I have been ignored despite so many achievements. I was responsible as the Revenue Minister for computerizing land records,” said Kangar.
They said that they are with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. “We supported former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder as advised by the high command. Now we will work along with the new CM as per the instructions of the party high command,” they said.