Navjot Sidhu refuses new portfolio, left out of 8 advisory groups

Chandigarh, June 08: Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been dropped out of eight consultative groups formed by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to monitor the state government's flagship schemes.

The move signalled a widening rift between Amarinder and Sidhu, who refused to take charge of his new portfolio.

Sidhu, who has been at loggerheads with Singh, was divested of local government, tourism and cultural affairs portfolios and given power and new and renewable energy sources department in rejig on Thursday.

The tussle started when Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur, also a Congress leader, held Amarinder Singh responsible for denying her Lok Sabha ticket from Chandigarh.

After the Congress won eight of Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats, Amarinder Singh had said the party could have done better in the urban areas of the state, especially Bathinda, if not for Navjot Sidhu's remarks on Pakistan and the ongoing investigation into the Guru Granth Sahib desecration.

In response, Sidhu said he was being singled out. Sidhu has yet not taken the charge of his new assignment.

These consultative groups have been mandated to review the performance of the state government programmes and give recommendations to improve them.