Congress, it seems, has made a habit of wooing controversy in poll-bound Punjab. Committing another faux paus, Congress high command on Sunday appointed party’s national secretary Asha Kumari, allegedly involved in a land garb case, as party affairs in-charge in Punjab.
Her appointment came after the veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath offered to resign from the post within three days of his appointment following opposition uproar over his alleged involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh riots — causing much embarrassment to the party.
Relatively a lesser known face compared to Nath, Kumari, also Himachal Pradesh’s Dalhousie MlA, was given one-year imprisonment by a Chamba court in February this year but is currently on bail.
Party sources have maintained that Kumari’s appointment is a “temporary” arrangement till the party’s national vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s return to India. He is currently on foreign trip.
A day before, party spokesperson had stated that the leadership could make a temporary appointment of an existing general secretary in Punjab till a decision is taken on induction of new leaders in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretariat.
Even as the Congress’ rival parties wasted no time to criticise it for Kumari’s appointment, the development has attracted a “mixed” reaction from within the party.
While some Congress leaders seemed “ok” with the appointment and rubbishing the rival parties for pointing one mistake or the other, another section of party men believed that the High Command should take its own time to make appointments, especially when the state is going for polls in next six-seven months.
“This is crucial time, and appointing, re-appointing or replacing leaders should be avoided at this juncture,” a senior Congress leader told The Pioneer, while requesting anonymity.
Nath, after he replaced Shakeel Ahmed, had relinquished the charge of Punjab state affiars in-charge on June 15 after BJP, SAD and AAP stepped up their attack on the party over the appointment for his alleged involvement in 1984 riots.
These parties had accused Nath of leading mob which attacked Delhi’s Rakabganj Gurudwara — allegations categorically refuted by the former Union Minister.
Nath had maintained that he was “hurt” by the developments wherein an “unnecessary controversy” has been created around the “tragic” 1984 riots.
Kumari, a senior party leader, has served in various capacities in the party. She has also served as Himachal Education Minister in 2005.
Wife of Brijender Singh — the scion of the erstwhile royal family of Chamba, Kumari was convicted on February 26 in the land grab case by a Chamba court and sentenced to one year imprisonment, besides Rs 8,000 fine.
The court had held her guilty of criminal conspiracy. On March 19, the Himachal Pradesh High Court suspended the one-year sentence. The court had also sentenced six others, including four revenue officials.
Born in Madhya Pradesh, the four-time MlA was facing trial in the case for over a decade along with six other persons, including her husband. As many as 13 accused in the case, six of whom including Kumari’s husband, have died.
She was accused of manipulating revenue records, fabricating wills and transferring 60 bighas of government forest land in the name of her husband, Brijender Singh.