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Tag: Punjab Congress

  • Verka’s letter to Sonia makes no point out of Sidhu, talks of ‘misunderstandings’

    Contrary to the claims made by Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka, that he has written a letter to the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to ‘rein in’ fellow Congressman and former Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, it has come to mild that his letter makes no point out of Sidhu and as an alternative talks about “misunderstandings and gaps between senior Congress leadership in the state”.
    Verka had claimed a number of days again that “Sidhu is coming out with something or the other every day. I have requested the high command to intervene, call him to Delhi and sort out the issue”.
    However, a duplicate of the letter written by Verka on April 21, perused by The Indian Express, exhibits that the MLA has made no such suggestion.
    After perfunctory paragraphs highlighting the pandemic scenario in India and Punjab and issues being created for farmers by the centre because of new agriculture produce insurance policies, Verka states: “The open verbal strain and interpretation surfacing in the media and also on social media platforms are creating misunderstandings and gaps between senior Congress leadership in the state of Punjab.”
    Verka goes on to write down, “We can sense that this happens due to communication gap between senior leadership, which requires swift intervention of high command to solve this on urgent basis.” He highlights that Harish Rawat, the state in-charge of the occasion, “has done multiple meetings with all leaderships and locals to resolve all minor and major issues including SC/BC matters of Punjab, which require promptness to achieve what he started for the success of ‘Mission 2022’ as per Congress agenda”.
    Not mentioning both Navjot Singh Sidhu or the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh all through the latter, Verka advocates forming of a committee to type out native points.
    “It’s the right time to form a new coordination committee of senior leaders for permanent solution of local issues on party platform for upcoming Punjab Legislative Assembly election in 2022,” he stated.

    Raj Kumar Verka additionally highlighted that the Congress staff have been disheartened within the state.
    “I would like to draw your kind attention that Congress workers are disheartened in the state owing to the party reorganisation and being dissolved the Punjab Pradesh Committee and District Congress Committees almost for one and a half years in the state,” the letter stated.
    The Congress MLA ends the letter by requesting Sonia Gandhi to “intervene in the present political issues/scenario” by inviting her consideration to right away resolve the gaps, points/reorganising the construction to start with the election marketing campaign for the upcoming state meeting election”.
    Verka’s feedback about writing a letter to Sonia Gandhi about Sidhu had been made after Navjot Singh Sidhu held press conferences and made a number of tweets attacking Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for not taking motion in opposition to these responsible of circumstances of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the police firing on Sikh devotees.
    Sidhu had alleged that there had been a definite lack of intent by the beginning authorities in taking the circumstances to their logical conclusion and had stated that the individuals of the state have been feeling cheated by the Congress authorities for inaction on its half. Lately, Navjot Sidhu has as soon as once more tweeted, taking the names of former Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal and his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, questioning why that they had not been named in any challan by the Punjab Police and why their names didn’t determine in any FIR.
    I by no means stated I named Sidhu: Verka
    Speaking to The Indian Express, Raj Kumar Verka stated that his phrases had been twisted by the media to incorporate the reference to Navjot Singh Sidhu. “I had never said this. My letter was addressed to Sonia ji and copy to Harish Rawat ji. How could I reveal details of the letter. However, a television channel referred to my letter by joining the issue of Sidhu,” stated Verka.
    He added that his total intention behind writing the letter was constructive and that given the truth that Punjab confronted the dual challenges of agriculture procurement and the Covid pandemic, the occasion ought to resolve the misunderstandings between leaders. “My whole concern as a Congressman is that the issues should get resolved so that we can work towards fighting the coming elections,” Verka stated.

  • Captain assured Sidhu will rejoin group, desires Bajwa, Dullo by aspect too

    Laying the bottom for the Assembly elections due early subsequent yr, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh Thursday reached out to his detractors within the Punjab unit of Congress, expressing confidence that former Cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu could be a part of his group whereas including that he will likely be glad to have Rajya Sabha members Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dhullo too on his aspect.
    “Everyone wants Navjot to be part of our team,” Amarinder advised a press convention right here Thursday, a day after the 2 Congress leaders met on the CM’s farmhouse close to right here, the place, sources stated, that they had mentioned the cricketer-turned-politician potential reinduction into the Cabinet.
    “We had a very cordial meeting. He had tea with me. He has sought some time. Let him have his time. And then he will come back to us. I am sure he will be part of our team,” Amarinder stated.
    The improvement comes almost two years after the cricketer-turned-politician stop the federal government after being divested of a key portfolio.

    Asked if Sidhu needed to be the deputy chief minister or the state Congress chief, Amarinder stated it was as much as the Congress president to resolve these issues.
    “Not my decision nor Sunil ji’s (PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar) decision. It is for CP (Congress president) to decide whatever they wish to,” he stated, including in a lighter vein, “If he wants my job he can have it.”Amarinder additionally stated that he had identified Sidhu since he was two.
    Raveen Thukral, the CM’s media advisor had additionally shared on Twitter pictures of the 2 leaders collectively, indicating a thaw of their strained relations.

    Replying to a question, the CM stated that he would even be glad to have Bajwa and Dhullo as a part of the group. He stated that whereas everybody has their very own ambitions, it’s as much as the Congress president to resolve (on their position) in social gathering. “In a difficult hour, you have to set aside your own ambitions and stand with the party,” he added.
    Bajwa and Dullo had opened a entrance in opposition to the Amarinder Singh led authorities in Punjab over a number of points, together with hooch tragedy final yr which killed greater than 100 individuals. Several social gathering leaders in Punjab had later written to the central excessive command recommending the duo’s expulsion for anti-party actions.

  • Punjab Budget session, Day 2: Congress seeks House decision for early SGPC polls

    The problem of pending elections of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) resonated within the Vidhan Sabha with the ruling Congress favouring a decision to be handed by the House demanding early conduct of the polls whereas the Akalis accused the state authorities of inflicting obstructions in the best way of the Chief Commissioner (Gurdwara Elections).
    The matter cropped up through the dialogue on the Governor’s deal with when the Congress MLA from Patti, Harminder Singh Gill, demanded that the House ought to go a decision that the SGPC elections be held quickly.
    Gill made the demand whereas attacking the SGPC over sure appointments made within the committee alleging that an individual who had misplaced the SGPC polls was given a distinguished administrative place within the committee.
    Attacking Gill quickly after, the SAD MLA from Lehra, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, stated that the Congress authorities had no intention of holding the SGPC elections and that that is fairly clear by the way by which they had been treating the Chief Commissioner (Gurdwara Elections) who has not been given an workplace or workers a number of months after his appointment.
    “Congress and BJP are hand in glove. They do not want the SGPC elections to be held,” Dhindsa stated.
    AAP MLA from Kotkapura Kultar Singh Sandhwan too attacked the Congress over SGPC elections. “Those who sell drugs and liquor should not get elected to SGPC. What did you people do to stop drug sellers? You should give office and staff to the Gurdwara Election Commissioner,” Sandhwan stated.
    Exchange of bitter phrases
    A pointy change came about between Harminder Singh Gill and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Bikram Singh Majithia after the latter used a time period to explain Gill. The phrase was expunged from the proceedings by the Speaker however this sparked off a counter-attack by Gill who then proceeded to call Majithia’s forefathers and their alleged position in Sikh historical past.
    The bitter change of phrases began when the SAD MLA from Muktsar, Kanwarjit Singh ‘Rozy’ Barkandi, objected to Gill’s reference to the just lately concluded native our bodies polls which had been received by the Congress. Gill stated that the Congress used high-handed strategies within the polls and that false circumstances had been registered in opposition to Akali staff.
    The Speaker, Rana Ok P Singh, repeatedly requested the members to not get private however this had no impact as a number of Akali MLAs received up from their seats and objected to Gill concentrating on the forefathers of Majithia.
    ‘Congress armtwisted farmers instead of supporting them’
    Speaking through the debate, AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan stated that the Congress had failed to come back to the rescue of the farmers within the ongoing agitation in opposition to the three farm legal guidelines.
    “Kisana di baan fadan di bajaye Congress ne onna di baan marodi ae (Instead of supporting the farmers, Congress has twisted their arm),” Sandhwan stated.
    He additionally highlighted the truth that the Punjab Police is concentrating on these journalists who had been exposing the medicine mafia within the state and are arresting them in false circumstances. “Press is not free in Punjab,” he stated.
    Sandhwan additionally raised the difficulty of defunct well being playing cards issued by the state authorities alleging that they didn’t work in lots of hospitals. He additionally alleged that it was tough to get admission in Faridkot Medical College and Hospital utilizing these playing cards. Health Minister Balbir Sidhu countered him by saying that the personal hospitals named by Sandhwan weren’t empanelled underneath the scheme to which the latter stated that this was as a result of the state authorities doesn’t launch funds on time.

    Dire state of Punjab as CM is absent: SAD
    SAD MLA from Sanaur Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra stated the state was going through crises as a result of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is absent from obligation and he doesn’t attend workplace.
    He additionally attacked the Chief Minister for failing to satisfy Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the difficulty of the farmers’ protests.
    “The CM has not taken any time to meet the PM on the farmers’ issue. It casts doubts on him. It was expected that he would do so. Congress will have to answer why this had not happened,” Chandumajra stated.
    He stated that it didn’t behove a senior politician like Amarinder to make false guarantees by swearing on Gutka Sahib. He stated the state was reeling underneath steep gas costs which had been the very best amongst the neighbouring states.

    “The Finance Minister keeps saying that the state is under heavy debt and the treasury is hard pressed for funds. This is because of mismanagement,” Chandumajra stated.