The voices of dissidence against Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president, Partap Singh Bajwa, turned into an uproar as his anti-camp resumed protests once again by fluttering black flags after taking to the streets for his removal in ludhiana, on Wednesday .
The protest at the grass root level came just about a fortnight after the Congress national vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked the party men to work in unison.
Bajwa, accompanied by party’s national secretary in-charge for Punjab Harish Chaudhary, had a direct face-off with agitating party workers who were demanding his removal and asking him to go back. The protesters blocked Bajwa’s vehicle outside a hotel in busy Feroze Gandhi Market, where he and Chaudhary came for lunch.
One of the protesters reportedly lifted the wiper from the windshield and stuck a poster on it, reading, “Partap Bajwa go back” and “Bajwa Hatao, Congress Bachao” (remove Bajwa, save Congress).
The protesters also showed him black flags. There was also a minor scuffle between the protesters and his supporters. Pradeep Kumar, one of the protesters, alleged that he was manhandled by Bajwa supporters while he was peacefully raising the slogans.
An irritated Bajwa tried to avoid the protesters and rushed inside the hotel. Bajwa, who has been here for last four days, has been facing regular protests.
While his first day marked the launching of the signature campaign for his removal, the subsequent days were marked by protests and burning of his effigies.
However, on Wednesday, the protesters directly confronted him with black flags, banners and posters asking him to go back and urging the party high command to remove him to save the party in Punjab.
When Bajwa was confronted by media at the hotel about the treatment meted out to him by his party men, he shot back, “I have not invited media here” while refusing to make any statement on the issue.
PPCC former secretary Akshay Bhanot, while talking to the reporters, said that they had nothing personal against Bajwa but they wanted him to resign as he had not been able to lead the party and take along everyone with him.
“The very fact that we have been forced to come on roads to protest and seek his removal is a testimony towards his failure as the PCC president,” said Bhanot while asserting that his replacement was in the interest of the party.
Bhanot said that Bajwa knew it himself as he was not getting any response from any workers. “After his initial failure to attract crowds, he now decided to visit the homes of the workers and leaders instead of organising public functions,” he said.
He claimed that there was lot of resentment against Bajwa and they had deliberately restricted the protests as every party worker wanted to come on roads.