Shiv Sena slams Centre for discussing 'Punjab's problems' with 'dismissed' Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

MUMBAI: Days after former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh held a meeting with Union Minister Amit Shah in the national capital, Shiv Sena on Saturday slammed the Centre for discussing the problems of a state with the "dismissed" Chief Minister.

It further said that the Home Minister has no right to discuss border security with a former Chief Minister.

The Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna said that if the matter of border security was that important then it should have been discussed with the present-day Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi instead of Captain Amarinder Singh.

"Has anyone started infiltrating the border like Kashmir and Ladakh? If this issue is really important then the Home Minister should discuss it with the present Chief Minister of Punjab. What is this method of discussing the problems of the state with the dismissed Chief Minister? The central government is starting this new tradition, which is not fair," said Saamna.

The Shiv Sena mouthpiece slammed Captain Amarinder Singh for "waking up" on the border security issue only after tendering his resignation from the post of Chief Minister of Punjab.

"Pakistan is infiltrating every day, but after leaving the post of Chief Minister, Amarinder woke up about border security," said Saamna.

The Shiv Sena mouthpiece further alleged that although Captain Amarinder Singh has said that he is not joining the BJP, but by

Staying

out of Congress he intends to harm the party.

"Amarinder Singh had clarified that he will not go to the BJP, but after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it seems he will harm the Congress by staying out," it added.

The Shiv Sena mouthpiece's reaction came after Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on September 29 said that he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the ongoing farmers' agitation and urged him to resolve the crisis by immediately repealing the three farm laws.

The meeting came amid fresh turmoil in Punjab Congress with the sudden resignation of state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and led to speculation that the Congress leader may be warming up to the BJP.

Amarinder Singh had resigned as Chief Minister on September 18 and had told the media that the Congress leadership had let him down.

The meeting took place amid efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make the contest in the forthcoming assembly polls in the statewide open.

Amarinder Singh had said that he had urged Amit Shah to guarantee minimum support price to farmers and support Punjab in crop diversification.