Congress leader and MP KTS Tulsi on Friday said that former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's statement of quitting the party is "unfortunate" but alleged that Captain was reluctant to acknowledge his mistakes of ignoring the legislators and not addressing their grievances.
Speaking to ANI, Tulsi said that it is "unfortunate that Captain wants to leave the Congress party" but he also does not want to acknowledged his mistakes. "For six months, there was an active demand from the body of legislators that they were not satisfied with the functioning of the government," he stated.
"No one cared to talk to these MLAs or address their grievances. Captain should have had his finger on the pulse of each MLA but he completely ignored them," he added.
The Congress leader further said that the exercise for ascertaining the wishes of legislators was done thrice but each time 80 per cent of the legislators were left dissatisfied. "Captain should have taken remedial steps at that time, but he continued to delay," he stated.
"If today, he is feeling humiliated, it is because he did not resign earlier. If he did not want to serve these legislators, he ought to have gone. These MLAs are worried about their future and want to be led by a leader who can bring them to victory," he added.
Tulsi said that though Captain played a huge role in Congress' victory in Punjab earlier, the situation has changed now. "There is a large dissatisfaction in his own legislative body. To some extent, he should share the blame for not taking timely action and not being able to anticipate the mood of his own legislators," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Captain Amarinder Singh that he would quit the Congress party but won't be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In an official statement, he said that he had no intention of continuing in the Congress, and said that his affiliation with the party was going downhill with senior leaders being completely ignored and not given a voice in the party.
"I will not be treated in this humiliating manner...I will not take such insults," he said, adding that his principles and beliefs do not allow him to stay in the Congress.
( With inputs from ANI )
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