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Roll back ‘ill-advised’ move to give jobs to Cong MLAs’ sons: Sunil Jakhar to Amarinder
Party legislators Kuljit Nagra and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also express displeasure over the government’s decision
Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and two party MLAs on Saturday questioned the Capt Amarinder Singh-led government’s decision of giving jobs to sons of two legislators and urged chief minister to rollback the “ill-advised” move.
Their statements came despite Amarinder defending the decision of appointing Arjun Fateh Jung Bajwa’s son Arjun Pratap Singh Bajwa as an inspector in the Punjab Police and Ludhiana legislator Rakesh Pandey’s son Bhisham Pandey as a naib tehsildar on “compassionate” grounds.
Besides Jakhar, Congress legislators Kuljit Nagra and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also expressed displeasure over the move.
In a cabinet meeting on Friday, five ministers-–Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Razia Sultana, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhbinder Sarkaria--were learnt to have also opposed this move.
Jakhar, in a press statement, said certain elected representatives tending to their own families do not deserve the same consideration as is due to those who make the supreme sacrifice for the nation. “Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh must reverse the ill-advised decision”, Jakhar said, cautioning against potential charges of nepotism and political expediency.
“The decision is also in my view against the ethos and culture of neutrality followed by Amarinder Singh and the Congress as a whole,” he said.
Congress MLAs Kuljit Nagra said he was not in favour of this decision. “I urge the cabinet and the CM that this decision should be rolled back keeping in mind the future of youth and the CM should again call a cabinet meeting to reverse this move,” said Nagra. Gidderbaha MLA Amrinder Singh Raja Warring appealed to Fateh Jung Bajwa and Rakesh Pandey not to accept these jobs for their sons.
Later, in a tweet, the CM’s media adviser said,“’No question of rescinding #PunjabCabinet decision on jobs for sons of 2 @INCPunjab MLAs. It is just a small token of gratitude & compensation for the sacrifices of their families. It’s shameful that some people are giving political colour to this decision.’:@capt_amarinder.”
“’I fail to see any reason for removing any officer in my govt under political pressure. Each one of them is doing excellent work for the state, and I need them to continue helping my govt fulfill all the pending promises we’d made to the people of Punjab’: @capt_amarinder,” read another tweet.
