If Pakistan was yet another cause of discord between Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, the cricketer-turned-politician, on Wednesday made attempts to iron out differences by bringing a gift for the Chief Minister from across the border.

But the gift, a “stuffed” Patridge, apparently did not work as Amarinder did not accept it citing the necessity of permission from the wildlife department first.

After controversies over Sidhu’s “captain” remark and his Pakistan visit, the two senior Congress leaders held a “cordial” meeting for about half-an-hour “to discuss the matters of mutual interest”.

Downplaying the “differences” between him and his Chief Minister, Sidhu said there were “many things we talked about which I cannot share with you all”.

Regarding his “captain” remarks, Sidhu said his statement had been “blown out of proportion”.

He said everything from his Pakistan visit for Kartarpur ground-breaking ceremony and subsequent remark about Amarinder was “unnecessarily raked up...A mountain was made out of a mole hill. I have nothing more to say”.

Sidhu had stirred the hornet’s nest during an interaction with the media in Hyderabad while he was campaigning for the party when asked about going to Pakistan to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kartarpur corridor despite Chief Minister’s disapproval.

“Rahul Gandhi is my captain. It is he who sent me to Pakistan. Rahul Gandhi is the captain of the captain (Amarinder Singh) also,” he had said. A day after, at least five Punjab Ministers lashed out at Sidhu asking him to resign from the State Cabinet on moral grounds.

Earlier, Sidhu had chosen to go to Pakistan, at the invitation of Pakistan Prime Minister and former fellow cricketer Imran Khan, while Punjab CM had declined the invite saying that the Pakistan Army was killing Indian soldiers and conspiring to revive terrorism in Punjab.

Sidhu, after his meeting, said, “I am a disciplined solider of the party...and I have got a lot of love and affection from the Congress president and Amarinder Singh.”

Reliable sources informed The Pioneer that the party high command has asked Sidhu, who was in the national Capital a day before, to cautiously use his words, especially for his Chief Minister, and iron out his differences with him.

In the wake of Congress’ winning performance in the recently concluded Assembly elections of five States, result for which was announced on Tuesday, party high command wanted Sidhu to mend fences with Amarinder, if any. For, it is believed that Sidhu is set to get a larger role in 2019 Lok Sabha polls considering his performance as party’s star campaigner in these elections.

Chief Minister had already described Sidhu as a “likeable person”, while clarifying that they were not at loggerheads as reported by the media. “I have absolutely no problems with Sidhu while running the Government. Sidhu always spoke in a forthright manner and his only problem is that sometimes he shoots before he thinks,” he had stated.

On “captain” remark, Capt Amarinder had rebuffed it saying that it was hardly any issue to be raised “as Sidhu had always treated me as a fatherly figure”. Reaching Chandigarh from New Delhi in the afternoon, Sidhu headed straight to meet Capt Amarinder at his official residence where the latter is recuperating after illness.

Official spokesperson said Sidhu enquired after the health of the Chief Minister and wished him speedy recovery.