M A I N   N E W S

Birdevinder suspended
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 3 — The President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Capt Amarinder Singh, today ordered the suspension of Mr Birdevinder Singh from the primary membership of the party on the charge of breach of party discipline. Mr Birdevinder Singh has been a General Secretary of the party.

Capt Amarinder Singh has handed over the case of Mr Birdevinder Singh to the Disciplinary Action Committee of the party headed by Mr Harcharan Singh Hero for taking appropriate action against him (Mr Birdevinder Singh).

Mr Hero told TNS over the phone that a show cause notice had been issued to Mr Birdevinder Singh in connection with violating party discipline in the light of statements made by him pertaining to the party’s functioning. He had been told to explain his position by January 18.

He Hero said that Mr Birdevinder Singh also “stands suspended from all posts held by him by virtue by being a member of the party”. He appealed to all party members to maintain discipline and not to go to the press to air their views and if anyone had to say something, he should discuss the same at party fora.

Mr Birdevinder Singh has been continuously attacking the party President, Capt Amarinder Singh, on several issues, including financial emergency. He also had levelled very serious allegation against the PPCC President at press conference held at Patiala yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Avtar Henry, Vice-President, and Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, General Secretary of the PPCC, have strongly criticised Mr Birdevinder Singh for his recent statements criticising the policies and programmes of the party, which they termed as speaking the language of Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

They alleged that Mr Birdevinder Singh was a staunch follower of Mr Kapoor Singh, I.C.S., who had raised the demand of a separate Sikh state (homeland) in the post-Partition era. He has been associated the movement for Khalistan for long during his term as President of the All-India Sikh Students Federation. He was planted by the Akalis in the Congress party to sabotage the programmes of the party in the late seventies and had been carrying on his work as an agent of the Akalis since then.

Both Congress leaders have questioned the contribution of Mr Birdevinder Singh to the Congress party. They said that rather his role had always been negative and he had been a critic of the party programmes and the leadership right from the time of the late Giani Zail Singh, Mr Darbara Singh and Mr Beant Singh. He had continued the same way to serve his ulterior motives. As Nawanshahr byelection has to be held soon, Mr Birdevinder Singh was trying to please his political bosses in the Akali Government by criticising the Congress leadership to secure some prime position for his IPS brother.