Chandigarh, December 3: Days after he said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was his "captain" and not the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday received a stern message from the Congress leadership. According to a report, the Congress high command made it clear to Navjot Singh Sidhu that he cannot defy or speak against Amarinder Singh.

The Congress told Sidhu categorically that Amarinder Singh's writ is important and he should not speak against the chief minister. Following the Congress's stern caution, Sidhu described Singh as a fatherly figure. "You don't want to wash dirty linen in public. He (Captain Amarinder Singh) is a fatherly figure, I love him, I respect him, I will sort it out myself," the outspoken Punjab minister told reporters on Monday. Even Chameleon Doesn't Change Colours as Quickly KCR Does: Sidhu.

Meanwhile, a news channel also reported that the Congress asked its MLAs and leaders not to make any comment about Sidhu. Several of Sidhu's cabinet colleagues called for his resignation and an apology after the cricketer-turned-politician mocked Amarinder Singh publicly.

The controversy erupted when Sidhu in Hyderabad called Congress President Raul Gandhi his "captain" and Amarinder an "Army Captain". His remarks came a day after he returned from Pakistan after attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor. “Rahul Gandhi is my captain. It is he who sent me to Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi is the captain of the captain (Amarinder Singh) also,” Sidhu had said.

Sidhu’s visit to Pakistan had riled Amarinder Singh, who said he tried to dissuade Sidhu, following a grenade attack in Amritsar that left three people dead. Sidhu has been criticised for lavishing praise on Imran Khan, who too showered special attention on him. He was also targeted over a photograph which showed him posing with Gopal Singh Chawla, the Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee head who is considered pro-Khalistan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 03, 2018 05:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).