Sidhu skips cabinet meeting, says can't be taken for granted

Under fire from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for Congress's "poor performance" in the state's urban areas in the Lok Sabha polls, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Thursday skipped the first cabinet meeting after the elections and asserted he cannot be "taken for granted".

Singh had recently said he intended to change the cricketer-turned-politician's portfolio of local government department over the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

"I cannot be taken for granted. I have been a performer throughout in 40 years of my life be it international cricket, or world class commentary with Geoffrey Boycott, TV shows or 1,300 motivational talks," Sidhu told reporters.

The simmering tension between the chief minister and Sidhu came out in open on May 19 when Singh accused him of damaging the Congress's prospects just before the general election with his "irresponsible actions".

Sidhu said urban areas had played a pivotal role in the party's victory in Punjab and alleged that his department is being singled out.

"My department is being singled out publicly. I always regard him as my elder I always listen to him. But it hurts and now where is the collective responsibility? He (Singh) could have called me and said anything he wanted to say. But I was singled out in spite of collective responsibility," he said here.

He added that he would defend his name, credibility and performance "fiercely".

"Everybody is asking me why I did not go to the cabinet meeting. Oath is administered when you become a cabinet minister, then it is said that it is a collective responsibility. I have been a political science student and it is taught that the rule is 'we swim and we sink together'," Sidhu said.

Referring to past cabinet meetings, Sidhu said his chair in these meetings may be "three inches" away from that of the CM's, "but it seems I am too far from him and he (Singh) lacks faith in me."
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, another minister, said, "I am not Sidhu's assistant. I am not responsible if he does not attend the meeting. If he was having a parallel (press) meeting then it is indiscipline."