The festering rift in the Punjab Congress deepened on Friday as the party’s political conference at Baba Bakala on Rakhar Punia turned out to be a solo show of Jalandhar MP and former CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s camp, while state party president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and his loyalists simply skipped the event.
Though the rally was officially organised under the leadership of the Punjab president, its arrangements were made by Baba Bakala halqa in-charge and former MLA Santokh Singh Bhalaipur, reportedly a Channi camp supporter.
Consequently, even senior leaders from the area, including Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, former Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa and former MLA Sukhwinder Singh Danny Bandala, stayed away from the event.
Those present included Channi, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa; MLAs Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Hardev Singh Laddi; former MLAs Harpartap Singh Ajnala and Madan Jalalpur; and Majitha halqa in-charge Bhagwantpal Singh Sachar.
Some leaders claimed that Warring’s faction remained absent despite invites being extended by the staff of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee office, which works under the state president.
While addressing the gathering, Channi declared that the people of Punjab had made up their minds to oust the current regime, and bring the Congress party back to power to ensure good governance and administrative stability. “People attend Congress rallies like a joyous wedding celebration, whereas they gather at AAP events like a mourning meeting (bhog),” he remarked.
{{/usCountry}}While addressing the gathering, Channi declared that the people of Punjab had made up their minds to oust the current regime, and bring the Congress party back to power to ensure good governance and administrative stability. “People attend Congress rallies like a joyous wedding celebration, whereas they gather at AAP events like a mourning meeting (bhog),” he remarked.
{{/usCountry}}Launching a direct attack on chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Channi accused him of hurting religious sentiments and challenging the supreme authority of Akal Takht.
The former chief minister alleged that the chief minister’s official residence had transformed into a “hub of corruption”. Alleging that official appointments were dictated directly from the CM’s house, he accused the chief minister’s family of being deeply entrenched in corrupt practices, systematically looting Punjab and laundering money to Canada and Australia.
Targeting AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Channi claimed that Punjab was not being governed from Chandigarh, but was instead being remotely controlled from Delhi.
Meanwhile, Randhawa said Punjab did not need leaders who compromised with political parties for their own interests. He said the fight was not about any individual, but about protecting Punjab’s future from drugs, gangsters and a system that had failed the people.