Taking a U-turn on the parallel tour of the state by former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, state Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday said Amarinder consulted him before starting the tour.
On October 17, when the media had asked Bajwa about Amarinder's proposed tour, he had shown ignorance besides hinting at it as indiscipline.
Bajwa was here on Thursday to participate in a rally organised by the Punjab Youth Congress.
Replying to a media query, Bajwa said, "It was not a parallel tour. It was a tour in keeping with the party guidelines. Amarinder took me into confidence before starting the tour."
Bajwa also denied any factionalism in the party, saying, "We both will be seen sharing the same dais in future. Everyone in the Congress is united."
Bajwa also played down the issue of the state Congress leaders shifting loyalties to the SAD. "It will prove to be a boon for the party. Those who have risen from the grassroots level cannot even think of shifting the loyalties. Only opportunists do such things and endanger their political future. People always vote for parties and ideologies and not for persons," he said.
"In the coming days, we will also announce senior SAD leaders switching their loyalties to us. They have started the game; we will give them a befitting reply. Ohna ne taa chhota bamb suttiya hai, asi grenade suttange (They have thrown a small bomb, we will attack them with a grenade)," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"In the coming days, we will also announce senior SAD leaders switching their loyalties to us. They have started the game; we will give them a befitting reply. Ohna ne taa chhota bamb suttiya hai, asi grenade suttange (They have thrown a small bomb, we will attack them with a grenade)," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Bajwa said, "Avtar Brar kept me in the dark. Till the last, he kept saying that he was with the party; anyhow, there must be some compulsions for him. There is no dearth of talent and leaders in the Congress."
Bajwa also attacked the SAD leadership for the plight of farmers in the state claiming that none of their leaders had visited the grain markets to interact with the farmers.