Playing at ‘united’ Cong: Coffee with Bhattal,Tom & Jerry show

However,later while speaking on his meeting with her,Amarinder was both amused and dismissive. “What’s the news about my meeting Bhattal? I had not been able to meet her since my appointment. She had earlier invited me for breakfast but I could not come to the city that day. She is the CLP leader and I am the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president. We will have to meet almost everyday now,” he said.

On what’s brewing,he added with much amusement,”Bhattal had Chinese tea and I,Indian coffee.” Beyond that,he said it was a courtesy call and yes,they did talk politics but he would not reveal all to the media.

But it was the Badal family that he reserved his best of ‘humour’ for. “I am greatly amused by the cat and mouse game between the Badals (Manpreet Badal and cousin,Sukhbir Badal). I am also surprised by the funny politics of Manpreet. His agenda seems strange to me,who will accept it. Beyond that,I do not view it as a problem to comment on. Neither Manpreet nor Akalis are an issue for us. Let them continue with their game,” he added while dismissing the mass campaign announced by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday as,”they are after Manpreet.”

However,while commenting on future of the the rebel Badal,he almost stopped short of stating that he would be history. He,instead,crafted his words more carefully,citing his academic background to phrase it. “Of what I know as a student of history,in Akali politics,none of the rebels have been able to survive as you need the patronage of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC),” he said. What he has a stronger reservation to,he said,is the way SAD is using the SGPC. “They are not only golak chors (stealing money of gurdwaras) but are also misusing the gurdwara organisations for taking on rivals,” the Captain said. On the allegation that Congress was deliberately delaying SGPC polls,he said the Congress has nothing to do with it. “SGPC was formed through an act of Parliament and is headed by retired judge. Even I as Sikh would express my opinion through my vote,” he said.