Expelled from Congress, Bathinda Mayor defiant

Ravi S Singh

Bathinda, February 24

Municipal Corporation Mayor Raman Goyal on Friday remained defiant regarding her expulsion from the Congress. She and four of her loyalist councillors were expelled from the Congress for six years on February 22 after the passing of the civic body Budget.

Following this, a war of words erupted between Goyal’s camp and her opponents in the party.

Goyal on Friday said, “I continue to be the Mayor of Bathinda and will not let the works suffer in spite of the expulsion of which I do not know the reason. How is it that that I became an undisciplined member of the Congress immediately after the Budget was passed.”

Goyal said she had written a letter to the Congress national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, the disciplinary committee of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) against her expulsion.

On the other hand, PPCC member and former head of the local Improvement Trust, Kewal K Aggarwal, justified the expulsion of Goyal and the four councillors and said, “They are close to Manpreet Badal. They had been allegedly showing apathy towards Congress’ meetings and programmes after he quit the party to join the BJP. The Congress had given them long rope to mend ways, but they did not heed.”

Going ahead with her mayoral duties, Goyal headed a review meeting with officials of the corporation regarding progress of the works allocated in wards during the current financial year. The corporation today issued directions to all councillors to submit details regarding works required in their respective wards. The BJP on its part washed its hands off the controversy. BJP Bathinda (Urban) chief Sarup Chand Singla said the expulsions were due to infighting in the Congress.