Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said it was his duty to share his views on Punjab with his party, the BJP, and stressed that doing so did not mean he was planning to quit.
Singh, 84, said he was going through “difficult times” but did not elaborate. He also dismissed any suggestion that age had made him irrelevant, referring to former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who became prime minister at an advanced age.
Speaking on Friday at the launch of “Bishan with Love”, a book commemorating former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, Singh said he remained committed to expressing his views on Punjab.
“I have spent 60 years in Punjab politics,” he said, questioning why newer leaders had not sought the views of those with decades of experience in the state.
Singh said his criticism of the BJP did not indicate that he was leaving the party. He pointed to his own political history, noting that he had moved between parties in the past, including a stint with the Akali Dal during the period following Operation Blue Star before returning to the Congress.
“There has been no such indication that I am no longer relevant in the Congress or the BJP,” Singh said, adding that political parties could change but that it remained his responsibility to communicate his views to BJP leaders.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who attended the event, said he wished to see Singh become Punjab chief minister again.
The event was also attended by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former cricketers Kapil Dev, Syed Kirmani and Madan Lal, among others.
Singh’s remarks come amid speculation that he could leave the BJP and return to the Congress, although he did not indicate that he was planning to do so.
(With inputs from PTI)