M A I N   N E W S

Capt meets Sonia, Brar waiting in the wings
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to convey his views on public wrangling among some party leaders in the past few weeks over the government’s proposal to offer land to Reliance Industries Limited for projects in the state.

Sources said the Chief Minister, who met AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi and Political Secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel in the last two days, told the Central leadership about “demolralisation of workers” due to statements made by some party leaders against the state government.

Referring to the recent statements made by party leader Jagmeet Singh Brar and his supporters on the land proposal concerning RIL, the Chief Minister said their charges had to be refuted lest these were considered true by people. The Chief Minister conveyed that these party leaders were following Shiromani Akali Dal in levelling “frivilous charges” against him.

Sources said the Chief Minister told the Central leadership that criticism of the government by party leaders had a demoralising effect on workers at a time when the party was gearing up for next year’s assembly elections.

The sources said the Chief Minister’s meeting with Mrs Gandhi was a follow-up of a letter he had written earlier to her on the recent political developments in the state. Following the controversy over land offer to RIL, the Chief Minister had sent details of the proposal to the Central leadership. State Finance Minister Surinder Singla also met the Central leaders to brief them on the proposals, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Mr Brar, who is a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee, has also sought an appointment with the Congress president.

The sources said Mr Brar has met Mr Patel, Mr Dwivedi and AICC treasurer Motil Lal Vora in the past two days to convey his viewpoint on the land proposal to RIL. They said Mr Brar told the party leaders that the PCC and legislature party should be taken into confidence about the RIL project and interests of farmers should be protected. Mr Brar told the leaders that by forcefully taking up the issue concerning land to RIL and by seeking party central leadership’s intervention, he had snatched a major issue away from the Shiromani Akali Dal which would have used it to nail the state government in the run-up to elections. Mr Brar told the Central leaders that he had been fighting the Badals for more than three decades and there was no question of his speaking the language of SAD.