'Capt Amarinder has his own voice': BJP's Dushyant Gautam on talks of ex-CM changing sides

National General Secretary of the BJP and the outfit's Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam on Tuesday said that former state Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has a voice of his own and he will be the one who will decide for himself whether he desires to join the BJP following his 'humiliation' by the Congress, which lately appointed a new Chief Minister, ahead of the Legislative Assembly polls in the state scheduled to be held early next year.

Singh's resignation from the top post in Punjab has led to a series of postulations, even that he might join the saffron party. And, now putting a halt to conjectures on the fate of Captain Amarinder Singh's political journey, the BJP in-charge of Punjab Dushyant Singh made it clear that the former Punjab CM will decide if he wants to join the party or not as he has a voice of his own.

'Captain has his own voice, he will decide what he has to do'

Replying to a query over the former Punjab CM's future with the BJP, Gautam said, "I will not be able to answer at this point, as I don't hold the authority to make such a decision. This will be the party high command's decision. Moreover, Captain has his own voice, he will decide what he has to do and what not to do."

'Amarinder cannot oppose the nation': Dushyant Gautam 

Taking a fresh dig at the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Navjoy Singh Sidhu over Amarinder Singh's allegations of Sidhu having a connection with Pakistan and his belief in patriotism, the BJP leader said, 
"I am not raising any question on the national devotion of Captain Amarinder Singh. I have seen them (Captain and Sidhu) very closely, it is a different matter that they did not meet the expectations of the people, and could not fulfil the promises of the Public. But when we talk about the matter of Pakistan and India and the border area, I sincerely believe in Amarinder Singh and that he cannot oppose the nation."

Amarinder censures Sidhu connection with Pakistan

Notably, hours after his resignation from the post, Singh had made it clear that he will be opposing any move to make Navjot Singh Sidhu the Chief Ministerial face of the party citing national security reasons. Singh had said that Sidhu will be a disaster for the state and that he has connections with Pakistani heavyweights. The former Punjab CM had termed Sidhu as 'incompetent'. He had said that Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is Sidhu's 'friend'.

"He is friends with Imran Khan and General Bajwa. Daily so many drones, weapons, explosives, grenades, pistols, rifles, AK47s, RDX, heroines are coming (in Punjab). Where is all this coming from, from Pakistan... When he knows the bigwigs from Pakistan and we share a 600 km border with Pakistan, it is a matter of national security," Amarinder Singh had said.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: ANI