No compromise formula evolved yet to douse fire in Punjab Congress
Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 Nov, 2021 11:42 AM
New Delhi/Chandigarh, Nov 9 (IANS) The problems in the Punjab Congress seem to be far from over as the Channi government is being constantly cornered by its own state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and the top leadership has failed to evolve a consensus among the warring factions.
Sources say State in-charge Harish Chaudhary tried to intervene on the issue by calling a meeting on Monday but Sidhu did not relent and left. Chaudhary did not respond to calls.
While the party is believed to be rethinking on a new plan to pacify both the factions, Sidhu is likely to be called to Delhi for a final meeting.
Prior to the Monday meeting, Sidhu addressed the media and later tweeted, "09.04.2021: the HC directed new SIT to complete investigation in 6 months. 07.05.2021: New SIT Constituted. 07.11.2021: 6 months over. What's status of Investigation? Where is Chargesheet?"
His continued tirade is against the appointments made on the posts of Attorney General (AG) and Director General of Police. Though the AG has hit back for politicising the office.
Sidhu said, "Technically, any lawyer can become AG and any IPS officer can become DG but if we talk about Morals and Ethics of Government, as we promised to the people of Punjab that we will give Justice to them in Sacrilege Cases,a lawyer who has procured blanket protections to the main accused persons in that case and an IPS officer, who was the 1st Investigating Officer and gave clean chits to the main conspirators, Can we appoint them as AG & DG when the case is still at the stage of investigation?"
Not only Sidhu, but Congress MP Manish Tewari has been critical of the government's stand in the matter of jurisdiction of BSF.
Tewari said in a tweet on Monday, "It has been close to a month now Central Govt by notification has extended BSF operational remit in Punjab to 50 Kilometres.Why till now notification has not been challenged by Punjab Govt India under Article 131 in Supreme Court of India Is opposition to it mere tokenism?"
After the meeting of Rahul Gandhi with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and T.S. Singh Deo, it is widely expected that the state could see a minor portfolio reshuffle. Singh Deo may be given more importance in the cabinet and it's likely he may be allotted a portfolio soon. Currently he holds the health portfolio.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he will invite Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Punjab Governor V.P. Badnore and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as guests at the special session.
Chidambaram was addressing a press conference at the fag-end of his two-day visit to the state in the capacity as the All India Congress Committee's senior observer in charge of Goa ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls.
Punjab annually generates 20 million tonnes of paddy straw and this is normally set on fire to quickly clear the fields for the next crop, resulting in choking of the National Capital Region (NCR) in October and November.
Priyanka's remarks came after farmers on Tuesday evening vacated the railway tracks and highways in Punjab after the Amarinder Singh government accepted the demands of the sugarcane farmers.
The 'rebel' legislators reached Dehradun in the morning to apprise Rawat about the mood of the public against the Amarinder Singh-led government in the state. They, among 20-odd party legislators, have been demanding replacement of Amarinder Singh as he failed to fulfill the 2017 poll promises.
