Rebels challenge leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh
Punjab News Express/Satinder Bains
CHANDOIGARH: A fresh political crisis has gripped the Congress party in Punjab at a time when party is preparing for 2017 assembly elections. The rebels in the party have challenged the leadership of PPCC President Capt Amarinder Singh who is facing charges of being "inaccessible" to party leaders and also "hobnobbing" with the ruloing Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD).
Capt Amarinder Singh has gone public to defend himself on charges of being accessible to publoic and party leaders after Bir Devinder Singh former Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker wrote a Guest Column' in a leading newspaper expressing his doubts over Congress success in the 2017 assembly poll. He predicted that Congress is going for tough triangular contest and party seems loosing battle. While targetting Capt Amarinder Singh for his autocratic style of functioning, he noted that party's grassroot cadre is facing a comperhensive disconnect with state's top leadership.
Bir Devinder Singh stated that party workers all over the state wants to know what would be the fate of Congress in 2017 if present statlemate continued and why Capt Amarinder Singh not performing. He further wrote, "They unanimously say if this timethey lose, the Congress would be sonsigned to the dustbin of Punjab's political history, the way it happened in West Bengal.
Capt Amarinder Singh who is held responsible for Congress defeat in two successive assembly elections in 2007 and 2012 has hired a political contractor Prashant Kishore to improve Congress chances of Party victory in state. Capt Amarinder Singh has started his meetings with workers taking along Prashant Kishore.
Bir Devinder Singh has in the meantime resigned from post of Chief media penalist for TV debate appointed by Capt Amarinder Singh.
Bir Devinder Singh had helped Capt Amarinder Singh winning his Amritsar Lok Sabha seat but he found himself isolated since he was not allowed access by Capt Amarinder Singh for the last two months. Irked by the behaviour of the PPCC president put his grouse in the guest column. Though later things took turn for another series of allegations that Capt Amarinder Singh wanted Bir Devinder Singh to sign an affidavit to bail him out in the infamous Amritsar Improvement Trust land scam worth Rs.100 crores. The Punab Vigilance Bureau had registered case against Capt Amarinder Singh on the recommendations of previliege committee of Vidhan Sabha on the basis of testimony of Bir Devinder Singh.
The internal story of conflict started unfolding with the rebuttle of Bir Devindcer Singh's article by Capt Amarinder Singh and further disclosures by Bir Devinder Singh. Capt Amarinder Singh has replied in Guest Column in same newspaper, "Too early to write Congress obituary". Amarinder described Bir Devinder Singh a rolling stone while referring his joining People's Party of Punjab, Akali Dal and then back to Congress. He stated." No wonder such insightful and thoughtful can come from and exclusive experience". Capt Amarinder Singh claimed that Bir Devinder Singh has sought And aried to twist the facts and approperiate his individual grudges to entire party cadre. He also claimed that Bir Devinder Singh wanted to get party ticket for Ghanaur or Fatehgarh Sahib.
Capt Amarinder Singh said that he was accessible to workers and leaders "Yes I am available to right kind of people all the time", he added. Capt Amarinder Singh said that he had made a mistake by rehabilitating Bir Devinder Singh who was desparately struggling in political wilderness by appointing his chief media penalist.
Capt Amarinder expressed his concern that Bir Devinder Singh was main complainant in the false complaint related to Amritsar Improvement Trust in which he was arbitrarily made an accused and was expelled from Vidhan Sabha. He maintained that his expiulsion was set aside by Suprmee Coourt with strictures against Akali Dal government with which Bir Devinder had connived.
Bir Devinder Singh has said that he was called to Moti Bagh and asked to sign an affidavit in presence of a Supreme Court lawyer to withdraw the complaint in Imrovement Trust case. He said that when he made complaint against the then local bodies minister chaudhary Jagjit Singh, he was not aware Capt Amarinder Singh also involved in the scam. He also levelled charges of arm twisting against Capt Amarinder Singh's aide Bharat Inder Singh Chahal.
Before Bir Devinder Singh going public against Capt Amarinder Singh, serious allegations of weakening party were also levelled on Capt by former MP Jagmeet Singh. Former CLP leader Sunil Jakhar is also enraged over denial of Rajya Sabha ticket to him since Capt Amarinder Singh choose to recommend the name of Hans Raj Hans over him.