Punjab Congress infighting: 'He commands respect', 10 Congress MLAs bat for Capt Amarinder

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 18

Even as Navjot Singh Sidhu met over 30 MLAs to seek their ‘blessings’ ahead of his anticipated elevation as PPCC chief, at least ten party MLAs have issued a joint statement in support of CM Capt Amarinder Singh.

 MLA Bholath Sukhpal Khaira, who recently crossed over from AAP to Congress, said after talking to his colleagues Harminder Gill, Fateh Bajwa, Gurpreet GP, Kuldeep Vaid, Balwinder Laddoo, Santok Singh Bhalaipur, Joginder Bhoa, Jagdev Kamalu, Primal Khalsa, a joint statement supporting Capt Amarinder had been issued.

The statement said that due to Capt Amarinder’s unrelenting efforts, the party stands well entrenched in Punjab.

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“There is no doubt that the appointment of state PPCC chief was the prerogative of the party high command, but at the same time, washing dirty linen in public has only decreased the party graph during the last couple of months”, read the statement.

The MLAs said that it was due to Capt Amarinder Singh that the party regained power in Punjab in the aftermath of 1984 attack on Darbar Sahib and the subsequent genocide of the Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere in the country. “He commands immense respect across different sections of the society in the state, particularly the farmers for whom he even endangered his chair as CM while passing the 2004 Termination of Waters Agreement Act,’’ the MLAs claimed.

They said that Capt Amarinder Singh had to also face extreme vendetta politics at the hands of the Badal family, for filing corruption and disproportionate assets case against them in his first tenure as chief minister.

The MLAs said that since merely six months were left for the elections, pulling the party into the different directions will only harm its prospects in the 2022 polls.

They also supported the demand of  the Chief Minister that Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had made numerous tweets against him and the government, should tender a public apology so that the party and government can function in tandem.

The MLAs offered a word of caution to Navjot Singh Sidhu, who they said was a celebrity and was no doubt an asset to the party, but condemning and criticising his own party and government in the in public view has only created a rift in the cadres and weakened it.

The MLAs said they hoped the party high command would take cognizance of their suggestions and will definitely keep in mind the status, contribution and background of Captain Amarinder Singh in mind while making vital decisions for the party.