Chandigarh: Ex Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday evening launched a searing attack on rival Navjot Sidhu in a letter announcing his resignation from the Congress, calling the former cricketer "an acolyte of the Pakistani deep state" and "a person of unstable mind".
Amarinder Singh slammed Mr Sidhu - against whom he waged a bitter and very public feud that eventually led to his resignation from the chief minister's post in September - for "using the filthiest and most vile language against me".
"Sidhu's only claim to fame was that he would abuse me and my government on a regular basis. I am old enough to be his father but that did not stop him from using the filthiest and most vile language against me, both publicly and privately," the Captain wrote in a seven-page resignation letter.
Mr Singh - who also said his new party will be called Punjab Lok Congress (pending approval by the Election Commission) - reminded Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that he had warned her against backing Navjot Sidhu and making him President of the party's state unit.
He will, therefore, be at the forefront of the Congress' planning for next year's Assembly election. He has not, as yet however, withdrawn his resignation from the post.
"Despite my profound reservations and over the unanimous advice of almost all the MPs from Punjab, you chose to appoint an acolyte of the Pakistani deep state - Navjot Sidhu - who had publicly hugged the Pakistan Army Chief General (Qamar Javed) Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan, as President of the Punjab Congress Committee..." Mr Singh wrote.
The Captain also ripped into his (now) former party's support for Mr Sidhu, singling out Mrs Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (although the latter two not by name). He had, in September, described Mr Gandhi and Ms Gandhi Vadra as "inexperienced and misguided".
"I told you at the time that Sidhu is a person of unstable mind, and you will one day regret this decision... I am sure you must be regretting it now..." he wrote today, while also underlining that he still thought of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as his own children.
The reference was to the elevation of Mr Sidhu to the post of Punjab Congress chief, which was effected as part of (failed) compromise between the two rivals and despite objections by Mr Singh.
Then, after Mr Sidhu shocked the Congress by resigning because he had not been consulted by Chief Minister Charanjit Channi over some appointments, Mr Singh took an "I told you so..." swipe.
Amarinder Singh had earlier said he would fight Mr Sidhu's "elevation to chief ministership" tooth and nail, and that he stood ready for any sacrifice to save the country from "such a dangerous man".
Stating that he would field a strong candidate against Mr Sidhu in the 2022 assembly polls to ensure his defeat, Mr Singh had said: "He (Sidhu) is dangerous for the state."