Harish Rawat, the Congress in-charge for Punjab, on Friday hit back at claims made by former chief minister Amarinder Singh.
Amarinder had announced on Thursday he would be leaving the party as he was "insulted by the Congress".
Speaking to reporters in Dehradun, Rawat pointed out Amarinder had been retained as chief minister for several years. "How can that be humiliation?” Rawat was quoted by The Tribune as saying.
Rawat also took issue with Amarinder's closeness to some BJP leaders and claimed he was "acting under the BJP leadership pressure", The Tribune reported. "It appears from Captain's recent statements that he is under some sort of pressure. He should rethink, and not help the BJP directly or indirectly," Rawat was quoted as saying by The Tribune.
Rawat alleged the BJP was attempting to use Amarinder. "The theory of humiliation of Amarinder Singh is totally wrong. His meetings with Amit Shah and other BJP leaders are raising questions on his secular credentials, which has always been the core of his politics for all these years. The BJP is trying to make him their mask in Punjab, which is not his stature," Rawat was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
