Clouds over Punjab Congress have cleared: Ramesh's dig at Manpreet Badal

The Congress took a swipe at former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who resigned from the party and joined the BJP on Wednesday, saying "clouds (badal) over the Punjab Congress have cleared". Badal joined the BJP and slammed the Congress, which he quit before starting his new political innings, for factionalism.

He lauded the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, saying India has emerged strong, including diplomatically and economically, under their nearly nine-year rule.

Taking a swipe at Badal, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, "A man who left Akali Dal to make his own party and then joined the Congress, was made Finance Minister for five years, then lost by a record margin of over 60k and thereafter went into hibernation now joins BJP."


"Punjab Congress par se badal chhat gaye hain," Ramesh added in Hindi.

Earlier, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring dubbed Badal's resignation from the party as "good riddance", terming him as "congenitally power hungry".

Voicing concern over the state of affairs in Punjab, Badal said the state is "slipping" and the BJP is the only party which can meet the challenges facing it.

On his decision to quit the Congress, he said how can one operate in a party which is at "war with itself. Not only in Punjab but in many states, the party is full of factions".