Received request from Pak PM to take Sidhu in my cabinet: Amarinder

Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said that he received a request from Pakistan Prime Minister to take Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu in his cabinet. 

Amarinder Singh made this disclosure while addressing a joint press conference with BJP chief J.P. Nadda and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) here.

Singh called Sidhu a totally incompetent, incapable, and useless man as a minister. "I removed Sidhu from my cabinet because that man is totally incompetent, incapable, and totally useless. Sidhu was looking after local self-government. For 70 days he did not complete a file. I called him a few times and offered to give him more power if he wanted, which Sidhu denied," Singh said. 

"After two or three weeks, I got a message from somebody whom we both (Sidhu and Singh) knew, saying that he (Pakistan Prime Minister) requested me to include Sidhu in my government and remove if it doesn't work," Singh said.

Talking about the message he received, Singh said, "Message was that the Pakistan Prime minister has sent a request that if you can take Sidhu in your cabinet he will be grateful. He (Sidhu) is an old friend of mine (Pakistan Prime Minister) and if he doesn't work then you can remove him."