Janardhan Dewedi, in-charge of the Congress in Punjab, has directed all party leaders to refrain from making any statements on the style of functioning of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

Congress leader Jagmit Singh Brar recently raised the issue of the Punjab government giving land to Reliance [Get Quote] India Limited at throwaway prices.

When asked, Brar told rediff.com that he had merely raised an issue and not asked for any change in the leadership.

"How can the government give 67,000 acres of land to Reliance India Limited at throwaway prices for setting up food processing units in 257 centres when we had been opposing the Akalis on the same count.

"This amounts to giving the Akalis a long handle and that too when the state Assembly elections are just a few months away," Brar said.

But the chief minister's supporters will have none of it and have already issued statements against Brar.

Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who has also been demanding a leadership change for some time, refused to comment on the issue.

But Bhattal admitted that she too had once come up with the demand of change in the leadership of the state Congress due to the style of functioning of Amarinder Singh.

"I do not deny that I wanted a leadership change. But once the elections were announced, we went back and fought as one unit," she said.

"We have placed our views before the party high command and it is up to the party to take a decision," she said.

In the past too, several Congress leaders have raised their voice against the style of functioning of the chief minister.

Punjab will go to polls in February 2007.