Congress party, it seems, has switched into a damage control mode as the controversy over giving government jobs to the two legislators’ sons on “compassionate grounds” refused to die down, dividing the Punjab party unit.
As a part of the same, Qadian MLA Fatehjung Bajwa has turned down the State Government’s job offer to his son Arjun Fatehjung Bajwa. At the same time, the party leadership is also reportedly in talks with Ludhiana North MLA Rakesh Pandey expecting the same.
Notably, the Cabinet, in its June 18 meeting, has decided to appoint sons of two Congress MLAs — Arjun Pratap Singh Bajwa (Fatehjung Bajwa’s son) as Punjab Police Inspector; and Bhisham Pandey (Rakesh Pandey’s son) as Naib Tehsildar on “compassionate grounds” as “special cases”.
The move came more than 30 years after both the appointees had lost their respective grandfathers in terrorist attacks in 1987. While Fatehjung’s father, Satnam Singh Bajwa, who was also the former Minister, was killed in a terrorist attack in Amritsar; Pandey’s father Joginderpal Pandey was killed by terrorists in Ludhiana when insurgency was at its peak in Punjab.
Fatehjung Bajwa, it has been learnt, has given in writing to the party high command that he does not require a government job for his son.
Sources informed The Pioneer that Punjab party affairs in-charge Harish Rawat has approached the Qadian MLA asking him to give in writing that he did not require the job. On visit to Delhi a day before, Fatehjung handed over the letter to Rawat. Reports are that Rawat would also talk to Pandey to follow the suit.
Notably, Fatehjung’s elder brother and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa had appealed to the two Congress MLAs to reject the government’s proposal.
Even as the party high command was engaging in resolving the power struggle between the top Punjab leaders, a new controversy hit the party and the State Government hard over the Cabinet’s decision to give jobs to sons of two Congress MLAs.
Five Cabinet Ministers — Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Tripat Rajinder SIngh Bajwa, Razia Sultana, Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhbinder Singh Sarakaria, Chanrjit Singh Channi — have opposed the move.
Besides, Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, dubbing the decision as “wrong”, had requested the Chief Minister for its review. Other than that, Congress MLAs Kuljit Nagra, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Pargat Singh, Harjot Kamal, have also questioned the government’s move, besides Navjot SIngh Sidhu and Pargat Singh.
Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Nagra had stated that the people’s representatives must work for the people and not for personal gains. “The Cabinet should rollback the decision. We should meet the promise of ‘Ghar Ghar Naukri’ instead of giving jobs to the kin of MLAs who don’t need it,” he had stated.
Appealing to the MLAs not to accept the jobs being offered to their sons, Gidderbaha MLA Warring stated that it would “amount to cheating with the common man”.
Pargat Singh had, in fact, gone to the extent of calling the move as “horse-trading”
Moreover, Punjab Youth Congress president Barinder Singh Dhillon also expressed dissatisfaction with the move saying that the needy need it first.
On the other hand, nine Cabinet ministers and four Congress MPs, and some of the MLAs from Ludhiana, have backed the State Government’s decision, calling it “correct and in line with appointments given to similarly situated persons in the past”.
Defending the decision, Capt Amarinder had made it clear that there was “no question of rescinding the Punjab Cabinet decision on jobs for sons of two Congress MLAs. It is just a small token of gratitude and compensation for the sacrifices of their families. It's shameful that some people are giving political colour to this decision”.
Available information suggests that the AICC three-member panel had also sought the Chief Minister’s clarification on the decision during the three-hour long meeting a day before.