Punjab CM again called to Delhi over cabinet expansion
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 Sep, 2021 10:26 AM
New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been called to Delhi for the third time on Friday evening after meeting Rahul Gandhi late on Thursday night with the meeting continuing till 2 am.
Sources said that he has been called for last minute fine-tuning of the Punjab cabinet after some state leaders urged the party high command to address their concerns.
Some new faces are likely to be inducted in the state cabinet, but it will not be entirely new and people from all backgrounds will be given chance to serve in the Channi cabinet.
Rahul Gandhi met Channi along with the party's Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat and General Secretary K.C. Venugopal late on Thursday. Before that, Rahul held a separate meeting with Rawat.
The party does not want to drop all the ministers in the past cabinet as it will strengthen former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's side. These MLAs could be crucial ahead of the Assemby elections in Punjab scheduled next year.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its criticism of his government's decision on debt waiver for farm labourers and landless farmers, saying it exposed the Arvind Kejriwal party's "anti-farmer stance".
With the detailed project report completed and land acquisition started, the work on building India's longest (11.80 km) road tunnel linking Thane-Borivali - passing beneath the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) - will start from March 2022, Maharashtra PWD Minister Eknath Gaikwad said on Thursday.
The Punjab BJP feels that anger among the farmers in the state against the three new farm laws and its leadership is at the behest of the ruling Congress party. Recently over a dozen BJP leaders were taken hostage in Rajpura in Patiala by protesting farmers.
This is a significant development after the new Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made it crystal clear within minutes of taking charge that "law of the land is supreme" and no one can afford to disrespect it.
Denying reports of his resignation, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's media advisor Raveen Thukral said on Thursday that the former would lead the Congress to victory in the Assembly elections scheduled early next year.
India is still witnessing the second wave which is not yet over as northeastern states and some parts of south India are still battling it, a member of the government's Covid expert panel said on Thursday.
