PM Modi making frivolous remarks: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh responds to 'independent soldier' jibe

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh were locked in a war of words on Saturday over remarks made by the PM when he was addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters in the national capital.

PM Modi, while hailing BJP's impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls, targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now.

He also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature. In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah rose by leading the party to victories in many states.

On the other hand, referring to Punjab CM, PM Modi said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. "He is a 'swatantra fauji' (independent soldier)," PM Modi said of Singh.

However, responding to PM's comment, Singh tweeted, "Who told you that Modi ji? Not me for sure. Did the Congress high command complain to you against me? Anyways, let me make it clear that such frivolous statements won’t help you create a wedge between me and my party, which has full faith in my leadership and vice versa."

Who told you that @narendramodi ji? Not me for sure. Did the @INCIndia high command complain to you against me? Anyways, let me make it clear that such frivolous statements won’t help you create a wedge between me and my party, which has full faith in my leadership & vice versa. pic.twitter.com/sIZUs3Q2cK — Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) March 3, 2018

Meanwhile, PM Modi further said that people of Northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it. Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, the PM added.

"Fear, lies and confusion were being spread," he said, an apparent reference to the Opposition's criticism of his government over a host of issues and now people have answered it through their votes.

PM Modi was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP parliamentary board, headed by party president Amit Shah. 

(With PTI inputs)