Be wary of leaders furthering own agenda, Jakhar tells party workers
State Congress chief says some leaders always try to seek opportunities in any crisis situation
CHANDIGARH : Amid efforts by a section of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s detractors to regroup themselves, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunil Jakhar on Thursday cautioned party workers against such leaders who were always trying to seek opportunities in any crisis situation.
Reiterating that the biggest challenge before the state at present is to save the people from the Covid pandemic, Jakhar said any attempt to divert attention from this core issue cannot be termed as public interest. “After the decision of the high court to inquire afresh into the sacrilege related issue the people of Punjab, as well as Congressmen, were more than concerned regarding the case, but the Punjab government and the
Congress high command are very serious about it and justice will be assured in the case,” he said, taking a dig at Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa and others for trying to foment trouble in the party.
Bajwa and former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu have been openly targeting the CM ever since the Punjab and Haryana high court quashed the SIT report in the 2015 Kotkapura firing case. They are blaming the chief minister and his aides for the legal setback.
Jakhar said that in such a challenging time, the behaviour of a few leaders trying to further their own agenda cannot be justified in any way. “By giving false figures of the people reportedly attending their meetings, some leaders were creating the illusion of leading a campaign which is a figment of their own imagination,” he said. Though he did not name anyone, the jibe is aimed at Bajwa who had on Tuesday claimed that five ministers and seven MLAs were present at a meeting held at cabinet minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s house whereas not more than half-a-dozen Congress leaders, including two ministers and three MLAs, attended it. Jakhar is also learnt to have spoken to central leaders about Bajwa’s efforts to fuel dissent in the party.
Cong high command watching closely
The Punjab Congress president said the party high command was monitoring the actions of leaders who were trying to seek accolades by giving an ultimatum to the government. “Any kind of support to such leaders would be a losing proposition. Instead of using their position to strengthen the party, these selfstyled leaders are creating fissures in the party cadre to further their not so hidden agenda,” he said, accusing them of pursuing their own goal instead of fighting the real issue, Covid-19.
He said the party high command was seized of the matter and working to sort out the issues in an amicable manner, advising all the party leaders to focus on the programme given by the government to check the spread of Covid. On May 21, the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi should be observed by doing service to prevent the further spread of coronavirus, he added. AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat had also spoken to some of these leaders and told them that the central leadership was watching the developments and would intervene soon.
State govt and Cong high command are serious about sacrilege cases
Sidhu exhorts MLAs to meet central leaders
Former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu asked the party MLAs and workers to go to Delhi and tell the high command about the situation in Punjab.
In a tweet, Sidhu said he had started seeking justice for sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and punishing the culprits during the campaign for parliamentary polls three years ago. “Now, our MLAs and party workers must go to Delhi and speak the truth of Punjab to our high command, as I regularly do!” he posted with a video clip of his speeches during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa, who has also been critical of the CM, had indicated two days ago that some MLAs might go to Delhi to meet the central leadership.