Punjab CM hasn't called a meeting of MPs, MLAs, says his media advisor

Reports of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh having called a meeting of state Congress MLAs and MPs following the appointment of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress chief have been denied by Captain's media advisor Raveen Thukral.

Reacting to reports, Punjab CM's media advisor Raveen Thukral said, "Some media reports suggesting that Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has invited Congress MLAs and MPs from the state for lunch on July 21 are incorrect. He has not planned or sent invites for any such lunch."

The clarification came a day after the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress from Punjab met at the party MP Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence in Delhi to discuss issues related to the state unit.

Congress MPs Manish Tewari, Jasbir Gill, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Mohd Siddiqui, Praneet Kaur, Santokh Chaudhary, Ravneet Singh Bittu and others attended the meeting at Bajwa's residence.

The Congress MPs categorically denied discussing the Captain-Sidhu rift, saying they formulated strategies to corner the government in the Monsoon session.

Pratap Singh Bajwa said the farmers' protest and issues related to Punjab were discussed in the meeting.

Meanwhile, after months of infighting in the state unit as Navjot Singh Sidhu openly rebelled against Captain Amarinder Singh's government over several issues, Congress appointed the former cricketer as president of the party's Punjab unit.

Besides Sidhu, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has also appointed Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra as Working Presidents of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

The decision came after rounds of meetings between Congress high command with Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

( With inputs from ANI )