Rawat questions Captain’s secularism, ex-CM retorts
Rawat claims Singh was ‘under pressure’ to leave Cong, Captain reiterates humiliation
DEHRADUN: The political tussle in the Punjab Congress intensified on Friday after Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat issued a detailed statement on Friday on how former chief minister Amarinder Singh was never humiliated in the Congress, how he lost the support of the MLAs because of his ‘stubbornness’, and that the Captain seemed to be “under pressure”. Amarinder Singh immediately hit back, saying that the only pressure that he has been under is the pressure of his loyalty to the Congress party for which he has put up with the “humiliation” all these days.
The development comes a day after Singh said he will end his 52-year-long association with the Congress due to humiliation by the party high command and sidelining of senior leaders, but added that he will not join rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Rawat, who is the AICC in-charge of Punjab, also questioned the former CM’s “proximity” with BJP leaders like Amit Shah, claiming that it puts a question mark on his secular credentials and warned the Centre not to attempt toppling a majority government in the state.
“His proximity with (Union home minister) Amit Shah and some other BJP leaders puts his secular credentials in doubt,” he said.
Rebutting allegations that the party had humiliated Singh, Rawat said it always gave him respect. “Amarinder Singh was Punjab Congress president thrice and chief minister twice. Is it humiliation? He should compare himself with senior party leaders who had got much less than him in terms of opportunities,” the former Uttarakhand chief minister said.
“At a time when the country faces the challenge of saving democracy, Amarinder Singh should have stood with (Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi and strengthened her fight to save democratic values instead of playing into the hands of people who are using his so-called humiliation for political reasons,” Rawat said.
Countering Rawat’s claim that the Congress never humiliated Singh, the Captain asked why Navjot Sidhu was given the free hand to criticise the Congress government in the state. “Why did the party give the rebels, led by Sidhu, a free hand in undermining my authority? Why was no cognizance given to the uninterrupted spree of electoral wins I handed over to the party through the 4 and a half years I was in the saddle?” Amarinder Singh said.
Rawat said the humiliation theory was something that will garner sympathy for Amarinder Singh who, as Rawat claimed, seemed to be under pressure after his Delhi visit. In reply, Amarinder Singh said Rawat will have to put himself in the shoes of Captain to understand the humiliation. He also said that the only pressure he was under was his loyalty to the party. He also questioned why Sidhu is still given the authority to hold the party to ransom.
As Harish Rawat said Captain failed to implement even a single suggestion made to him by a Congress committee, Singh asked why then Rawat himself made a statement claiming that he was satisfied with the government’s track record.
Amarinder Singh also denied allegations that he is not taking calls from Rawat and did not even meet Charanjit Channi, the new chief minister.
“We spoke just a day before the CLP meeting was called. Mr Rawat told me then there was nothing in the works and even claimed he had not seen any letter sent by 43 MLAs. I am shocked at the blatant way in which he is now lying about this,” Singh added.