Several faces in the party, one should not be impatient: Rawat

DEHRADUN : After Punjab Congress general secretary Pargat Singh slammed party’s state affairs in-charge Harish Rawat for backing chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh for the upcoming state assembly polls, the party veteran said there are several faces in the party and one should not be impatient.

Speaking to ANI, Rawat said: “The same allegations were made earlier when I praised Navjot Singh Sidhu. We have many faces at the national level like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. At the local level also, we have several faces like Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu and even Pargat Singh. One should not be impatient. 2022 elections are nearby and everyone is watching us. So, I believe these conflicts should have first been discussed with the right medium inside the party. I know when I need to say and what to say.”

Amid the ongoing turf war in the party’s state unit, Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh on Sunday questioned AICC general secretary Rawat and asked who gave him the right to take a big decision about Punjab.

Pargat, who is close to Sidhu, said: “When all the MLAs had met the three-member Kharge committee constituted by the party high command in Delhi three months ago, it was decided that the Punjab assembly elections, to be held in 2022, would be fought under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Now, if Harish Rawat is saying that the 2022 Punjab elections will be fought under the leadership of Amarinder Singh, then he should also tell when this decision was taken.”

“Congress state in-charge Harish Rawat is my good friend but who gave him the right to take such a big decision about Punjab at his level? What is the meaning of Captain’s leadership now after the Kharge committee’s decision to contest elections under Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi?” added the Congress MLA.

Pargat’s statement comes at a time when Rawat is scheduled to visit Punjab soon and meet Amarinder and Sidhu.

Meanwhile, Rawat met the party high command to discuss the turmoil in Punjab Congress. “I had a very short meeting with Rahul Gandhi. I had briefed him about whatever the situation is in Punjab. I have already briefed the Congress president. Nothing more than this,” Rawat told media persons after the meeting on Saturday.

HARISH RAWA CONG PUNJAB AFFAIRS IN-CHARGE

These conflicts should have been discussed in the party. I know when I need to say and what say.