‘HUMILIATED’ CAPT AMARINDER RESIGNS AS PUNJAB CM, ALONG WITH HIS COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

·     SAYS OPTIONS OPEN, WILL DECIDE FUTURE POLITICAL COURSE OF ACTION WHEN TIME COMES

Chandigarh, September 18

Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday resigned as Chief Minister of Punjab, citing continued humiliation by the Congress leadership over the past two months.

Making it clear that he would explore and exercise his future options when the time comes, Captain Amarinder said he would decide his future political course of action in consultation with his supporters who have stood by him for over five decades. “There is always an option, and I will use that option when the time comes…at the moment I am still in Congress,” he said after submitting his resignation

“I was humiliated three times by the Congress leadership in the past two months…they called the MLAs to Delhi twice and now convened CLP here in Chandigarh today,” said Captain Amarinder, adding that he had decided and informed Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the morning that he would resign.

“Apparently they (Congress high command) do not have confidence in me and did not think I could handle my job. But I felt humiliated at the manner in which they handled the whole affair,” he told mediapersons at the gate of the Raj Bhavan after giving his resignation letter to the Governor. “Let them appoint who they trust,” he remarked, taking a dig at the party leadership.

Captain Amarinder tendered his resignation, and that of council of ministers, to the Governor at the Punjab Raj Bhavan shortly after 4.30 p.m., pre-empting what was widely being seen as a move to remove him from chief ministership through an emergency Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting convened by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) at 5 p.m.

“I hereby tender my resignation as Chief Minister, and that of my Council of Ministers,” the one-line resignation letter said.

His wife Preneet Kaur, MP, accompanied him to the Governor house. His son Raninder Singh was also present, along with MPs Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Ravneet Singh Bittu, AG Atul Nanda and Chief Principal Secretary to CM Suresh Kumar.