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Sonia Gandhi to take call on Punjab Cong rejig by July 10
Kharge panel sets deadlines for CM Amarinder to deliver on 18 pending poll promises, including Bargari sacrilege, drug cases and annulment of power purchase agreements
A three-member Congress committee set up to resolve infighting in Punjab has set deadlines for chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to deliver on 18 pending poll promises, including Bargari sacrilege, drug cases and annulment of power purchase agreements, party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat said on Wednesday.
Rawat, while giving details of the panel’s discussions with the CM a day earlier, said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi would take a decision on the government and organizational set-ups in Punjab by July 8-10. The three-member panel headed by leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge with Rawat and former Delhi MP Jai Prakash Agarwal as members, had held a series of meetings with 150-odd leaders of the faction-ridden state unit and submitted a report to Sonia.
Rawat said the panel discussed the progress on the poll manifesto with the chief minister and asked him to act on pending promises within the set timeframe. “Bargari is an emotional issue in Punjab. We respect the emotions of people. The CM has been asked to take action in accordance with the public sentiment and within the perimeters of law. On the drug issue, the government has taken action and will act in pending matters soon,” Rawat told the media after his meeting with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
The AICC general secretary listed 200 units of free power for urban households, Scheduled Caste scholarships, and tightening the screws on sand and transport mafia among the 18 election promises on which the chief minister has been asked to take prompt action. “A lot of promises were made in our manifesto and many have been fulfilled. The committee has given clear deadlines on the remaining issues and sought time-bound implementation in consultation with the chief minister. Barring the Bargari sacrilege case, all other require executive decisions. You will see considerable action within next 15-20 days,” said the former Uttarakhand chief minister.
He said the chief minister would brief the media on these in the next two-three days. On Sidhu’s statements targeting the chief minister, Rawat said he is studying all the comments made by Sidhu. “I will give him advice wherever needed. In case there is need for a direction, I will do the needful,” he said.
On whether the party was considering any role for Sidhu in the government or oganisation, Rawat said he had not spoken to Sidhu regarding this and would call him for a meeting within next 2-3 days.
While Amarinder returned to Chandigarh without an audience with the top leadership. Rahul continued his meetings with senior party leaders and met Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa and finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday. After meeting, Jakhar said they discussed the steps needed to strengthen the party and resolve differences of opinion between various leaders. “The seriousness with which Rahul is looking at everything gives him confidence that the revival of the Congress will start from Punjab,” he said.
Asked about Sidhu’s blistering attacks, Jakhar said he (former minister) was one of the 80 party MLAs and both Rawat and Kharge had already stated that he should air his grievances before the committee. The state chief blamed the chief minister’s so-called advisers for decisions such as government jobs for two party MLAs’ sons which were putting the chief minister’s office in a spot.
Bajwa said that he discussed the current political situation in the state and the ground reality where the party and the government stood. “I told him (Rahul) about my assessment and how genuine the grievances of some leaders are,” he said.
