Amarinder meets Sonia, discusses with her Bajwa's comments against him: Sources

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday and is learnt to have discussed with her certain comments recently made by party leader Pratap Singh Bajwa against him.

Singh raised the issue with Sonia Gandhi, who, sources say, is learnt to have taken "serous note" of it.

Bajwa had recently raised the banner of revolt against Amarinder Singh and questioned the quality of governance under his chief ministership. Bajwa's comments against Singh were condemned by senior Punjab ministers after they discussed the issue during the recent meeting of the Punjab cabinet.

According to sources, Singh also discussed with Gandhi the issue of manifesto implementation. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and AICC in-charge for the state's affairs Asha Kumari were also present at the meeting.

While there were reports of a possible expansion of the Punjab cabinet, the issue was not discussed at the meeting, sources close to the chief minister said.

The issue of power tariff hike by Punjab recently was also discussed during the meeting and the Congress president asked Singh what steps has the state government taken in this regard while ensuring that the citizens are not overburdened by it.

Singh and Gandhi also discussed the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the Congress president urged the chief minister to make the people of the state aware about the issue.

Punjab is the first Congress-ruled state to pass a resolution in the Assembly seeking immediate repeal of the "inherently discriminatory" Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had also announced that his government would approach the Supreme Court against it, the second state after Kerala to do so.