New Delhi: Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, already facing criticism for attending Kartarpur corridor ceremony despite CM Amarinder Singh’s reservations, backtracked on the claim that he attended the Kartarpur ceremony after Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked him to go.

"Rahul Gandhi didn't ask me to go, I went on (Pakistan Prime Minister) Imran Khan's personal invite," Sidhu tweeted.

On Friday, Sidhu had said Gandhi was his 'captain', which was seen as a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a former captain in the Army.

“My captain is Rahul Gandhi. He sent me everywhere,” Sidhu told media.

On being asked why he chose to ignore the advice of his captain to visit Pakistan, Sidhu said, “Which captain you are talking about. Oh… Captain Amarinder Singh. He is Army Captain. My captain is Rahul Gandhi. Captain’s captain is also Rahul Gandhi.”

Miffed over Sidhu’s comments on Amarinder, a fellow cabinet minister sought his resignation from the state cabinet.

"If he does not consider Capt Amarinder as his captain then he should resign on moral grounds from the cabinet and do whatever work is assigned to him by Rahul Gandhi," Punjab cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had declined Pakistan’s invitation to attend the ceremony, citing Islamabad’s continued support to terrorism in India. He was also reportedly unhappy over Sidhu’s visit.

Sidhu, however, said that Amarinder Singh is like his father and added that this is not the first time he has gone without informing.