Rawat tells Sidhu to axe 2 aides, Capt shows strength
Three of the four disgruntled ministers skip cabinet meet
CHANDIGARH: Delivering his first tough message to Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat on Thursday asked Sidhu to axe his two advisers whose controversial statements on Kashmir and Pakistan had left the party red-faced.
Rawat’s directive to Sidhu came a day after four disgruntled Punjab ministers and several party MLAs met him in Dehradun seeking chief minister Capt Amarinder’s removal.
“I have verbally communicated to the PPCC chief to remove them (two advisers), making it clear that if he fails to do so, I will have to issue a written direction,” Rawat told Hindustan Times.
Rawat’s ultimatum, ostensibly at the behest of the party high command, on Sidhu’s handpicked aides Malwinder Singh Mali and Pyare Lal Garg is a setback for PCC chief who has so far kept a studied silence on their remarks, particularly Mali’s relentless swipes at Capt Amarinder Singh.
Asked about Mali’s clarification that these were his “personal views”, Rawat said that his remarks were totally unacceptable, and no clarification was sufficient. “The Congress has nothing to do with him. He is not our appointee. He is not even a primary member of the Congress. On sensitive issues like Kashmir having national and international repercussions, the party will not accept any statement that is at variance with its view,” he added.
55 MLAs show up at dinner with Capt
Buoyed by Rawat’s assertion on Wednesday that Amarinder will lead the party in the next assembly elections, the Captain camp hosted a dinner for MLAs and MPs on Thursday as a show of strength to counter the detractors’ claim of a brewing revolt against chief minister.
Earlier in the day, three of the four dissenting ministers skipped the virtual meeting of the cabinet chaired by the chief minister. The absentees were rural development and panchayats minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, jails and cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and water resources minister Sukhbinder S Sarkaria.
Over 55 party ministers and MLAs, besides eight MPs, attended the dinner where Capt Amarinder was also present, sources said. The dinner was hosted by sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi , at his official residence here.
“We had invited like-minded MLAs and MPs. All those who were invited turned up. We will win the 2022 assembly elections under him,” Sodhi told HT. Sidhu and ministers and MLAs close to him were not seen there. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, who was to sit at Punjab Congress Bhawan to redress the grievances of party workers and public as per the roster, also did not show up at the headquarters. Randhawa said he had a family engagement and could not participate in the meeting.
Pushed to the margins of Punjab politics since 2016 when he was upstaged as state Congress chief by his bête noire Capt Amarinder Singh and kicked upstairs to Rajya Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, 64, has been waiting in the wings for revival of his political fortunes. With his Upper House tenure in which he stood out for his spirited espousal of farmers’ issues, ending next year, the Majha satrap may have missed the bus again in Navjot Sidhu’s elevation to the top party job. But, Bajwa, a dyed-in-the-wool Congressman, knows the art of staying the course too well as evident from his tactical truce with Amarinder and decision to contest the 2022 assembly polls. Amidst a cascading AmarinderSidhu confrontation that has plunged the party into a turmoil, Bajwa spoke to Executive Editor Ramesh Vinayak and Senior Associate Editor Navneet Sharma on Thursday, positioning himself as a neutral peace-broker while refusing to side with either of the warring camps. Excerpts:
The ruling Congress in Punjab is in turmoil with just five months to go for the assembly polls. Why is this happening?
The party high command had lots of expectations from Navjot Singh Sidhu. They had this feeling that his being made the party president will strengthen the party in Punjab. But, unfortunately, things have moved in a different direction. Navjot’s mandate was to work with chief minister (Capt Amarinder Singh) to fulfil pending promises. Punjabis are agitated over the 2015 Bargari sacrilege, and related firing incidents in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan. The Congress and the CM had promised to take action. People want that those who were ruling at that time should be held responsible. Also, whosoever is responsible for drugs should face action. On the directions of the high court, two investigations were done. I will appeal to the chief justice of Punjab and Haryana high court to take cognisance of inquiry reports lying in sealed envelopes with the court and open these so that people know who the culprits are.
But the state government has not pursued proactively in the high court on these reports.
It is the high court that had ordered these probes. The government should have taken cognisance, but the responsibility for opening the sealed reports lies at the doorstep of the honourable high court. What was the idea of getting investigations done if these were not to be made public. Then, there are lots of other issues, such as power purchase agreements (PPAs). The government must bring white paper and do something on it.
How do you look at Sidhu’s one month at the helm of PCC?
We must give him some more time. He is like a younger brother to me. A number of people wanted to be the PCC chief. In his elevation, the rights of even those who have been in the party for more than 40 years were overlooked. In spite of that he has got this opportunity and important responsibility. He needs to work with the government. When he recently met the CM who decided to make one minister sit at the Congress Bhawan in Chandigarh for a couple of hours daily to hear the workers and a 10-member group was set up, it was a good beginning. We must work on those lines. Just 3-4 months ago, the Congress was in a much better position. People wanted to give the Congress a second chance. It is now up to the leaders to sit together as issues can be sorted out. For instance, the cane farmers were on the verge of creating another Singhu border in Jalandhar. I was called by the CM. We sat together and called different organisations and, in one go, gave the farmers ₹50 per quintal more for sugarcane. Today, we have the highest stateassisted price. There are other issues related to SC scholarships, regularisation of contractual employees and pay hike.
After Sidhu’s appointment, the internal Congress bickering has gotten worse. What went wrong?
The state in-charge (Rawat) should come immediately and make everyone, including the CM and ministers, sit together. He should also rope in a couple of senior party leaders from Punjab. In fact, we should have a panel of two-three leaders from Punjab to mediate honestly and remove irritants so that things can be sorted out issue by issue. This group should play the role of United Nations. We really need neutral interlocutors who have the confidence of both (Sidhu and Amarinder). We should not let things go completely out of hand. We should go to the polls as one and not seen as different camps. If that happens, we would be responsible for the fate that awaits the Congress. Damage has been done but it is still not beyond repair. Leadership issues can be decided after the elections. Similar things had happened between Harcharan Singh Brar and Mrs (Rajinder Kaur) Bhattal in 1996 and repercussions are known to all.
Why can’t Sidhu and Amarinder sort this out themselves?
Differences crop up even in families…among brothers. You need others in the family to mediate sometimes. There is nothing wrong with that.
Four cabinet ministers and some MLAs have demanded that Capt needs to be replaced otherwise the party will lose the election. Is it justified?
I would not like to say anything on this as this is the prerogative of the high command which has already issued a statement that the party will fight elections under Capt Amarinder Singh. Then, they (disgruntled ministers and MLAs) should not make such demands publicly. They should have spoken to Mr Rawat in confidence. There were lots of reservations about having Navjot (Sidhu) as the PCC chief, but once Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi announced, everybody accepted it.
Of these, three ministers, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Subhbinder Singh Sarkaria, are from your Majha region. Why have they revolted?
I am myself completely surprised what has gone wrong as for four-and-ahalf years they were at the helm of affairs. They themselves say they still have the best portfolios. Their writ is running not just in Majha but in the whole of Punjab. And, nothing has happened till date which is contrary to their expectations.
But they are claiming that Capt Amarinder Singh is in collusion with the Badals and, therefore, not moving on key issues.
I will not like to say anything that adds fuel to this fire. I will rather want this fire to be extinguished. I have been told Mr Rawat will be here in a day’s time. If he is here, we have to work together to make things better. I will also try to somehow play a role, the way I did for the sugarcane farmers. We have to find ways to sort out the emotive issues such as drugs, Bargari sacrilege and police firing, and take action against those responsible.
The chief minister says action has been taken against those responsible for sacrilege and police firing cases. What more you want to be done?
The major thing is what was the role of Badals and (then DGP Sumedh Singh) Saini.
The high court, while dismissing the Special Investigation Team’s case, has already said the Badals had no role.
There is a new SIT now. We just need it to come up with the final report. These are certain issues that are agitating the minds of most Punjabis who want clear answers.
How do you look at Sidhu’s advisers whose controversial statements on Kashmir and Pakistan have riled the Congress and given ammunition to the opposition?
As the party president, Sidhu can take anyone’s advice. Once you give formal orders that advice or view is taken as the viewpoint of the party. I will appeal to Sidhu that he is occupying a very responsible position and we are in a border state, so he needs to take control of his office. Their (advisers’) views cannot be contrary to the Congress’ stated position and the national view. Otherwise, this (controversial statements) will have serious repercussions, not only in Punjab but also in other states going to polls. Already, BJP’s national president (JP Nadda) has raked up these things. We have to be very careful.
You have been a trenchant critic of Amarinder, but now you are seen in his camp.
We should have a panel of Punjab leaders to mediate honestly and remove irritants. This group should play the role of United Nations. We really need neutral interlocutors who have the confidence of both (Sidhu and Amarinder)
I am not in his camp. My support to him is issue-based. I am burying the hatchet with him as a Congressman. If I don’t set an example, then things are over. You know what is waiting for us in 2022. Then, it is writing on the wall. I am not in any camp. I am with the party high command. We should focus on how we can win the upcoming polls. As a Congressman, I have a future ahead. The Congressmen are riding in the same bus. If it meets with a mishap, we all will suffer. Our main concern should be to reach our destination. Who will be the driver and conductor can be decided by the bus owner (high command) thereafter.
While the Congress is bogged down by infighting, opposition parties are already in poll mode. Your party runs the risk of losing ground?
I want to tell him (Sidhu) that we are all in a hurry. We are senior to him. Every person has to wait for his turn. We are very much in the race for everything.
Yes, one hundred and ten per cent. I am also alarmed at how this situation is being created. I could have easily added fuel to fire. If we also do that, the whole house would be on fire. The basic strength of SAD was the BJP, which is no more with them. And, the role that Akalis played in farm bills initially, they are still to overcome that. Farmers are still very much angry with them. The AAP has wagons with them but no engine without which no train can reach its destination. To date, the Congress has the engine, wagons, fuel and can reach its destination. All we need is an alignment of the engine and wagons in place.
And the engine is Capt Amarinder Singh?
Whoever is the CM is the engine at this moment. To change and replace someone is the high command’s prerogative. Yesterday, Harish Rawat has stated that we will go to polls under Capt Amarinder. As senior persons, responsibility lies on our shoulders to facilitate things to bring everyone together. My role will be that of fire extinguisher.
As your Rajya Sabha term is coming to an end next year, will you be back in state politics?
I am going to contest the assembly election, preferably from Gurdaspur district. I have already spoken to the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi and the state leadership.
There is a perception that Sidhu is in a hurry and he wants to be the chief minister.
I want to tell him that we are all in a hurry. We are senior to him. Every person has to wait for his turn. We are very much in the race for everything. Staying in the race by making a positive contribution is one thing and setting everything on fire is something else.