New Delhi, November 21
The lull in the Punjab Congress indicates that a storm is brewing and the contentious leaders for the top post are only waiting for the December 1 Assembly poll to be over.
After Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who campaigned for the party in Madhya Pradesh, stay put in Delhi amidst reports of his meeting with senior Congress leaders, Rural Development Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal arrived in the Capital today on her way to Rajasthan.
Sources close to Ms Bhattal said she had a telephonic conversation with Ms Mohsina Kidwai, party’s in charge of Punjab. The two leaders are believed to have discussed the political situation in the state and the growing
disenchantment of Congress workers and legislators due to the inaccessibility of Capt Amarinder Singh and his ‘Maharaja’ style of functioning.
The sources said the recent statement of Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, convenor of the Punjab PCC, that the party’s internal squabble should not be brought into the open, especially in view of the Assembly poll, was itself an indicator of the growing
disenchantment amongst party leaders against the Chief Minister and would spill out with full force after December 1.
Ms Bhattal arrived in the Capital today on her way to Rajasthan, where she would camp for the next two days and campaign for the party.
Asked about the cases pending against her, Ms Bhattal said there was little evidence to prove the allegations.
Making a ringside attack on the Punjab Chief Minister, she said the probe initiated by the state government into the allegations was totally uncalled for. Despite the fact that the issue had figured in talks with the party high command and Ms Kidwai, the issue continues to linger on.
Meanwhile, a group of 909 panchayat secretaries from Punjab, whose services have been terminated,
registered their protest with the Congress leadership at the AICC headquarters.
These sacked persons, under the banner of the Panchayat Sachiv Union, have renewed their protest after the state government reinstated 470 panchayat secretaries who had been sacked earlier. They said this was not only unfair but also not in keeping with the court’s ruling.
Asked about the demands of these agitating panchayat secretaries, Ms Bhattal said, “We had reinstated 470 panchayat secretaries on the orders of the Supreme Court. Our hands are tied as the judiciary has not passed any directions for reinstating others,” she said.
In a memorandum submitted to the Congress leaders, the union leaders stated that the 909 panchayat secretaries joined work in 2001 following a written test and an interview. Subsequently, this issue was taken to the courts, stating that this matter was still pending when their services were terminated in November last year. Since then, they have been petitioning the state government and the Congress leaders in Delhi but to no avail.
