A month after his feud with Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu has announced his resignation from his post as the cabinet minister for power, new and renewable energy.
Sidhu shared his resignation letter, dated June 10, on Twitter, which he said he sent to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He added that he would be sending his resignation to the chief minister shortly.
My letter to the Congress President Shri. Rahul Gandhi Ji, submitted on 10 June 2019. pic.twitter.com/WS3yYwmnPl
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) July 14, 2019
In June, Sidhu was divested of his erstwhile portfolio of the local government, tourism and culture ministries, as part of a cabinet reshuffle by Amarinder Singh. His new portfolio was that of power and renewable energy.
Angered by the move, he skipped a cabinet meeting and told reporters, "I cannot be taken for granted. I have been a performer throughout in 40 years of my life be it international cricket, or world-class commentary with Geoffrey Boycott, TV shows or motivational talks."
His actions triggered speculation that he could be removed from his cabinet post. It was not the first that he found himself at odds with the chief minister. As tourism minister, he was criticized for his frequent appearances on television —a controversy that saw him lose that portfolio for the post of Local Bodies Minister.
Following the General election, Captain Amarinder Singh accused Sidhu of 'damaging' the Congress in the state and of wanting the chief minister's post himself. He blamed Sidhu for the party's poor performance in urban areas.
In 2018, Sidhu attracted condemnation for hugging the Pakistan Army chief while on a visit to the country after being invited by Pakistan PM Imran Khan.
In April, Sidhu vowed to quit politics if Rahul Gandhi lost his seat in Amethi. In July, posters appeared in Ludhiana asking when he would be quitting politics as a result of Rahul's loss.
