E-Paper
Cong MLA Raja Warring opens another front against Manpreet
Urges Rahul Gandhi to take disciplinary action against the finance minister for cosying up with Akali workers and ignoring those from the Congress
Two-time Congress MLA from Gidderbaha Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday demanded disciplinary action against Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal for favouring the Akali leaders over the Congressmen.
Warring tagged former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Twitter, urging him to take note of Manpreet’s anti-party activities and demanded his removal from the state cabinet.
Endorsing Warring’s political outburst against Manpreet who represents Bathinda assembly segment, Congress MP from Ludhiana Ravneet Singh Bittu and MLA Kulbir Singh Zira re-tweeted the post.
Cooperation minister Sukhjinder Randhawa also retweeted to state “Congress can never have any understanding with Akali Dal which has destroyed Punjab from roots. Still, if there is any perception, it should be broken (sic)”.
For the last one month, Warring has been taking potshots at his political bete noire Manpreet whom he had defeated in 2012 from Gidderbaha that was earlier a bastion of the Badal family.
To buttress his accusation of ignoring Congress workers, Warring on Monday posted photos on his Twitter and Facebook pages of a Youth Akali leader Charanjit Singh Lohara receiving a cheque for some development work from Manpreet.
Lohara’s photographs with Akali patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and former minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia were also posted by Warring to back his claim.
Warring said Lohara is an active Akali leader in Gidderbaha segment and FM’s act gives a wrong message to the Congress cadre. SAD’s in-charge of the Gidderbaha segment Hardeep Dhillon Dimpy said Lohara is among the most active Akali members of the constituency.
“It is ridiculous that Manpreet or any other Congress minister has favoured Akali workers. Warring is dragging Charanjit’s name for his political benefits,” said Dhillon.
In his social media posts, Gidderbaha MLA stated Manpreet gained entry into the Congress party (ahead of the last assembly polls) under a political conspiracy. Warring cautioned Congress leaders and workers against Manpreet’s anti-party political designs.
“Even after joining the Congress, Manpreet Badal still has a soft corner for his former party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Congress accorded due space to Badal but he is backstabbing the same party by being soft to the Akali leadership,” he stated on social media.
Later, Warring said he has apprised chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and the state party president Sunil Jakhar that Manpreet is interfering in Gidderbaha to weaken him. “While paying tributes to his maternal uncle, Manpreet Badal on July 4 announced a grant of ₹30 lakh for Mandhir to lay sewer pipes in the village. Mandhir falls in my constituency and the development work was announced on the demand of Akali workers. Congress workers are demoralised as the development works demanded by the area MLA is ignored and Akali activists get heard easily,” he said.
Manpreet refuses to comment
Manpreet Badal’s media coordinator Harjit Sidhu said the minister has refused to offer any comment on charges levelled by Warring.
Lohara said being president of the urban estate welfare society, Phase-4 in Bathinda city, he had received a grant of ₹10 lakh from the minister for the development works in the colony.
Lohara’s photograph with Manpreet that Warring had shared were taken recently in Bathinda, it is learnt.
