Hoardings backing Captain surface on Sidhu’s home turf
AMRITSAR: Hoardings backing Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s leadership in the state elections scheduled early next year have surfaced in Amritsar, which is the home turf of dissident Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu.
This has come when Amritsar East MLA Sidhu and a section of Congress ministers and legislators are questioning Amarinder’s performance as the chief minister and cornering him for “lack of action” in the sacrilege cases, prompting the party high command to intervene.
To counter this campaign against Amarinder’s leadership, his supporters in Amritsar have put up hoardings declaring “Punjab Da Ik Hi Captain” (Punjab has only one captain), while pitching “#Captainfor2022”. The hoardings were first put up by a Congress student wing leader, and now more and bigger ones have come up at all key points in the city, backed by Amritsar mayor and Captain loyalist Karamjit Singh Rintu.
“As Congress workers are saying the situation is ambiguous in terms of the party leadership in the state, I have taken this step, just to clear it in the interest of the party,” said Rintu.
The mayor said the Congress government has met the expectations of Punjabis in all aspects, and the opposition is left with no issue to corner it.
“You cannot say that Captain
Amarinder Singh has committed any kind of corruption. There is no charge against him. Second, he has left no stone unturned in terms of development in our city,” he said.
Another local leader and Captain loyalist, who did not wish to be named, said: “One person (Sidhu) has vitiated the atmosphere, and following him, some more ministers and MLAS have opened a front against Captain. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has already announced that the next polls will be contested under Captain. Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat has also endorsed him. To not let the rival parties and other detractors exploit this situation, installation of these hoardings is the need of the hour.”