Chandigarh, Dec 8 (PTI) The Punjab Congress on Monday suspended Navjot Kaur Sidhu from its primary membership after her "Rs 500 crore for chief minister's chair" remark sparked a political row.

Reacting to her suspension, Kaur launched an offensive against Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, alleging, "I refuse to stand with an insensitive and irresponsible, morally dishonest and corrupt president." She said on X, "I stand up for all my brothers and sisters who have been hurt by his incompetence and irresponsible behaviour. I refuse to accept him as the President. I wonder why CM is shielding him." In her post, Navjot Kaur accused Warring of splitting the Congress "into pieces" and ingratiating with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to evade arrest in numerous cases, and alleged his involvement in the SC/ST Act arrest case, bus body cases and the 2500-acre-land-grabbing case.

"CM Bhagwant Mann, clarify why you are saving him?" she asked. "Raja Warring, what say??? You and your team was just bothered to destroy NAVJOT SIDHU who was your mentor and took a stand to make you Minister. And you just focused on fighting with Navjot's supporters and belittled them," she wrote in the post.

"Raja Warring, if you had even a little bit of love for your mother party, you should have resigned the day you made stupid repeatedly nonsense comments and made your party lose solely in Tarn Taran where Bajwa ji, Channi ji, Sukhi Randhawa ji, MP Aujla and sincere Congress workers were struggling day and night to make Congress candidate win," she added.

She also accused the party of turning a blind eye to Congress leaders "openly" supporting Bikram Singh Majithia when Navjot Sidhu, her husband, contested an election.

"Why does it sleep when Congress leaders and workers are defeated openly supporting other parties and you make them presidents of districts?" she asked.

Navjot Kaur Sidhu is the wife of former Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, a former cricketer.

Earlier, Warring issued an order that read: "Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu is hereby suspended from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect." The in-party fracas was sparked by Navjot Kaur Sidhu's remark, "one who gives a suitcase of Rs 500 crore becomes the CM." On Monday, before the party cracked a whip, Navjot Kaur, while speaking to a TV channel, alleged that Congress candidate for Tarn Taran bypoll Karanbir Singh Burj had given Rs 10 crore to two Punjab Congress leaders for the party ticket.

Burj denounced the allegations as baseless and asked her to provide the source of the allegation.

Burj, who unsuccessfully fought the Tarn Taran bypoll last month, said he never paid a single rupee for the ticket, nor was he asked for money by anyone.

"I am ready to swear an oath in this regard in a gurdwara," Burj said in a video message.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday evening, Navjot Kaur Sidhu said her husband would return to active politics if the Congress declares him the party's chief ministerial face in Punjab.

She said the couple does not have money to give to any party, but it can transform Punjab into a "golden state." "We always speak for Punjab and Punjabiyat... but do not have Rs 500 crore which we can give to sit in the chief minister's chair," she told reporters, after meeting Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to discuss several issues, including law and order in the state.

Asked if anybody demanded money from them, she replied in negative, but added, "One who gives a suitcase of Rs 500 crore becomes the CM." She said her husband was "strongly attached" to the Congress and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

However, after a political row erupted over her remarks, Navjot Kaur claimed her straight comment was given a twist.

"I am shocked to see the twist given to a straight comment saying that the Congress never demanded anything from us. Asked about Navjot becoming a chief ministerial face from any other party, I said we have no money to offer for a CM's post," Kaur said in a post on X on Sunday evening.

Reacting to Kaur's statement, former Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Vaid said she should not try to mislead people by making such remarks.

He wondered whether Navjot Singh Sidhu had paid the party anything when he was made a cabinet minister in the previous Congress government and later the Punjab Congress president.

Vaid said the Sidhu couple should work for people and win their hearts, instead of wishing Sidhu to be made the chief minister's face.

Meanwhile, Union minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu took a swipe at Navjot Sidhu's party, saying, "Congress disintegrated before the 'jharoo' could disintegrate in Punjab." 'Jharoo' (broom) is the election symbol of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X, "Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu has been suspended from the Congress party with immediate effect. Rs 500 cr for CM post fallout. Fatwa issued & Punished for speaking the truth and exposing Congress ka corruption." AAP leader and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema dared the Congress leadership to respond to allegations of Navjot Kaur Sidhu.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Sukhjinder Randhawa lamented Navjot Kaur's claim.

Randhawa, a former deputy chief minister of Punjab, also said the Congress faces a threat from no one but its own people.

"It is unfortunate that Navjot Kaur Sidhu has made such a statement. Navjot Sidhu joined the Congress from the BJP, and he was made a minister," he said. PTI CHS VSD VN VN