Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is all set to talk tough on the menace at the anti-drugs rally at Amritsar on Saturday.
In the absence of Congress party’s central leadership at the rally due to impending Delhi assembly elections, it’s going to be Capt Amarinder and his supporters all the way, giving him a chance to indicate the substantial support he enjoys in the party.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa, who had all along been claiming that Amritsar drug rally would be held under his leadership, now maintains that he is not going to attend the rally as he has “not been invited”.
The two power centers in the State politics — Bajwa and Capt Amarinder — have since been battling over the issue of leading the party from the front over the drug issue against the SAD-BJP coalition Government.
In fact, the two were planning to organise a rally parallel to one scheduled to be held on January 22 at Amritsar by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah, in an apparent attempt to show their might.
Even as Shah’s rally was postponed citing February 7 Delhi polls as the reason, Congress, under Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh, has decided to continue with its plan as a part of the party’s tirade against drug menace in the State. On the other hand, Bajwa announced that the party would gherao Shah whenever he visits Punjab.
“Party’s rally was against Amit Shah. When he has cancelled his January 22 rally, our rally stands cancelled too. There’s no question in participating in the rally, as I am not invited,” Bajwa told The Pioneer.
Besides Bajwa, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and few other MlAs belonging to the Bajwa camp are also expected to stay away from the function.
Capt Amarinder’s camp has claimed that at least 35 MlAs, out of 44, along with other senior party leaders, who attended the royal luncheon meeting at Moti Bagh Palace in Patiala on January 11, will be the part of lalkar Rally.
“It was an unanimous decision by all the party leaders including the 35 MlAs who were present during the lunch at Patiala to hold a rally against Amit Shah. They will surely be part of this rally,” said rally coordinator and Kapurthala MlA Rana Gurjeet.
He said rally “is purely an event of Amritsar Parliamentary constituency as it was to be held against Shah’s rally at Amritsar. Now as he has postponed his rally, we are going ahead with it as both SAD and the BJP are equally responsible for the drug menace in the State. BJP cannot run away by laying entire blame on the SAD”.
Couple of days after Capt Amarinder met the Congress national president Sonia Gandhi asking her to replace Bajwa if she wanted to see party on a victory path, the Patiala Royal gave a grand show of his strength when the 35 party MlAs, besides several senior party leaders including MPs, former MlAs and MPs rallied behind him at his lunch.
Being Capt Amarinder’s first major show after winning Amritsar parliamentary seat in 2014, the rally is being seen as not just an attempt to counter the SAD-BJP coalition on the drugs issue, but also to throw an open challenge to Bajwa’s authority.
Capt Amarinder’s camp is leaving no stone unturned to make his show a success.
In fact, he and his supporters have virtually launched a campaign for convincing other party leaders to join the rally at Amritsar. Only recently, Capt Amarinder approached his colleague and MlA Brahm Mohindra for participating in the rally.
As of now, the leaders related with organising the rally has maintained that there were no confirmation by any central leader joining the rally.
“Capt Amarinder has spoken to party chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi but they have not confirmed their participation, possibly due to their engagements in the crucial Delhi polls,” said Capt Amarinder’s spokesperson Capt Sandeep Sandhu.
At the same time, he maintained that they would surely attend the rally if they would have time.
For the rally, three separate stages have been erected. “Besides the main stage, one is for the MPs and MlAs, and another for the senior leaders. It would be a grand show and we are mobilising people from across the constituency. People from other parts of the State have also expressed their desire to be a part of this rally.”
Only a day before, Gurjeet, along with other senior leaders, had alleged the SAD-BJP Government for creating hurdles in their way to organise the rally in every manner.
“Be it intimidating and threatening the bus operators not to provide vehicles to the hostile attitude of the local administration, the Akali-BJP Government is trying its best not to allow people to reach here,” the party leaders had alleged on Thursday.
The leaders had added that they have been receiving complaints from the party workers that they were being harassed and discouraged at every level by the police and administration.