M A I N   N E W S

PPCC LIST
Sonia assures changes
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 2
Certain Congress members of Parliament and senior leaders from Punjab today met Ms Sonia Gandhi, president, Indian National Congress, at New Delhi to apprise her about the ‘tampering’ with the list of office-bearers of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, announced by state party chief, Mr H.S. Hanspal.

Highly placed sources in the Congress party said that Ms Gandhi assured the Congress leaders that they would be given due representation in the PPCC by bringing tangible changes in the state body in the coming days.

Mr Hanspal, talking to The Tribune on telephone, denied that the list was tampered with. He, however, agreed that there were certain eleventh hour changes effected in the interest of the party. He, however, did not rule out some changes in the list if the party high command desired so. However, Mr Hanspal gave no details.

While finalising the list most members of Parliament were not consulted by the state Congress leadership. The insignificant representation was given to Jats, who dominate the state. So much so few office-bearers have been taken from the Majha belt. Three names, including that of Mr M.M. Cheema, veteran trade union leader and Mr Parminder Singh — both from the border belt, were dropped.

It is reliably learnt that Mr Jagmit Singh Brar, a member Parliament from Faridkot, had told Ms Sonia Gandhi that though he had no objection to the list, his men had not been accommodated by Mr Hanspal despite assurance given to him. Similarly, veteran Congress MP from Amritsar, Mr R.L. Bhatia, is also reportedly annoyed over the list. Ms Santosh Chaudhary, Mr Balbir Singh, Mr Ghalib and other MPs have also expressed their displeasure over the list.

Source further pointed out that the senior Congress leaders had urged Ms Sonia Gandhi to order a probe into the eleventh hour changes in the list.

Bhattal in Capital, to meet Sonia
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 2
Punjab Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal arrived in the Capital today to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other AICC leaders over the Amarinder government’s filing a challan against her in a Chandigarh court after she got a reprieve in the embezzlement case following orders of a court in Bathinda.

Mrs Bhattal, who yesterday met the Governor, Gen J. F. R. Jacob (retd) over the issue, has sought a meeting with Mrs Gandhi. She will also meet Congress General Secretary Mohsina Kidwai, who is in charge of Punjab, apart from other senior AICC leaders. Mrs Gandhi is leaving for Gujarat tomorrow and is expected to meet Mrs Bhattal after her return. Mrs Kidwai was in Lucknow today and will return to the Capital tomorrow.

Sources close to Mrs Bhattal said she would tell the high command that the state government’s action was against the advice of Mrs Gandhi, who during her recent visit to Chandigarh, had asked all senior leaders to work together and run the party as a unit.

Mrs Bhattal would tell the high command that the state government had not consulted senior party leaders on the issue of filing the challan which was filed in a “haste.” The sources said opinion had also not been sought from the state’s Advocate-General or the Governor before the Punjab Vigilance Bureau filed the challan against her.

The sources said Mrs Bhattal would also tell the high command that the state government’s stand on the case against her was untenable in view of the earlier verdict of the high court. They said the step taken by the Amarinder government had sent a wrong signal to the party workers.

Meanwhile, Congress chief spokesman Jaipal Reddy today maintained that there was no reason for Mrs Bhattal to resign as she had not been chargesheeted but only an FIR had been filed against her. “I want to draw a qualitative distinction between an FIR and a charge sheet. If a charge sheet is filed, then the high command will take notice,’’ Mr Reddy said at the party briefing.

Plea to Sonia in Bhattal case
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 2
Another dimension was added to Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal's case today. Mr Balwant Singh Dhillon, a Bathinda-based advocate, whose complaint in a district court at Bathinda led to a vigilance inquiry against Mrs Bhattal, has written a detailed letter to Mrs Sonia Gandhi, President of the All-India Congress Committee.

In the letter to the AICC President, Mr Balwant Singh, who also claims to be a human rights activist, has stated that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has been continuously and repeatedly making efforts to help his Cabinet colleague and state Agriculture Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to escape prosecution in the corruption case. Mr Balwant Singh has drawn the attention of Mrs Sonia Gandhi towards a number of statements of Capt Amarinder Singh, describing these as part of the efforts to help Mrs Bhattal in the case.

He has urged Mrs Sonia Gandhi to direct Capt Amarinder Singh to refrain from helping Mrs Bhattal. Secondly, as "it has already been proved time and again that Mrs Bhattal does not hesitate from using her position as a Cabinet minister to interfere with the case, she must be asked to step down during the pendency of the case". Mr Balwant Singh has further stated " my case against Mrs Bhattal is legally very strong and she cannot escape the law and this could even be verified by your goodself from legal experts".