'Stop talking about secularism': Amarinder Singh attacks Congress

Singh said the Congress should not talk of secularism, pointing to the alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, and induction of multiple leaders from the BJP and its mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), including the current state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

"Stop talking about secularism @harishrawatcmuk ji. Don't forget @INCIndia took in @sherryontopp  after he was with @BJP4India  for 14 years. And where did Nana Patole and Revnath Reddy come from if not RSS? And Pargat Singh was with @Akali_Dal_ for 4 years!" tweeted Raveen Thukral, the former Chief Minister's  media advisor, quoting him.

"And what are you doing with @ShivsenaComms in Maharashtra?   Or are you saying @harishrawatcmuk Ji that it’s ok to join forces with so-called communal parties as long as it suits @INCIndia purpose. What’s this if not sheer political opportunism?" Singh was quoted as saying.

Reminding the party of his win in 2017 in Punjab elections, Singh said the Congress damaged its own interests in the state by putting the reigns in the hands of "an unstable person like Navjot Singh Sidhu who is only loyal to himself".

"You’re apprehension I’ll damage @INCIndia interests in Punjab. Fact is @harishrawatcmuk ji, the party has damaged its own interests by not trusting me and giving @INCPunjab into the hands of an unstable person like @sherryontopp who’s only loyal to himself’," he said.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, who accused Singh of being an architect of farm laws and benefiting a few corporates, wasn't left out either.

"What a fraud and cheat you are@sherryontopp ! You’re trying to pass off my 15-year-old crop diversification initiative as connected with #FarmLaws, against which I’m still fighting and with which I’ve linked my own political future!"

After Singh has announced to form his own political party and be open for an alliance with the BJP and the Akali, the Congress said they always knew it would happen.

While the current Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa called him an "opportunist", cabinet minister Pargat Singh said, "I had already said that the Captain is allied with BJP and Akali Dal, he used to get his agenda from the BJP".

Harish Rawat said Amarinder Singh should go to the BJP if he wished.

"If he (Amarinder Singh) wants to eat crow and go with BJP, he can. Who can stop him if he can't stay with his old commitment to secularism? He was considered a symbol of 'Sarvdharm Sambhav' and was connected to Congress' traditions for a long time," Rawat had said.

"Who can forgive BJP that has kept farmers at the borders for 10 months? Can Punjab forgive them for the manner in which farmers' agitation has been dealt with? His statement is really shocking. It seems he has killed the 'secular Amarinder' within him," he added.

Singh has not officially left the Congress party. The 79-year-old veteran Congress leader has been with the party for over four decades.

He had stepped down from Punjab's chief minister's post in September after suffering "humiliation" by the Congress during his long and bitter feud with state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu and a section of the party MLAs.