Pushed to the backfoot in his agitation against drugs’ issue by his own party, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa would soon drop a line to his bête noire and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to seek his support for the “cause”.
Bajwa on Tuesday said that he would get in touch with senior Congress leaders, including Capt Amarinder, party’s former MP Jagmeet Brar, among others asking them to support his crusade seeking CBI probe in `6,000 crore drug racket case.
The development assumes significance as Bajwa’s agitation, though received complete backing of the party high command, lacked the support of major chunk of State party leaders, mainly the supporters of his predecessor, Capt Amarinder. Bajwa’s campaign has suffered series of setbacks with Capt Amarinder opposed to the demand of CBI probe, slew of senior leaders not turning up for the state-wide chakka jam turning it into flop-show, and finally the dismissal of party’s plea demanding CBI probe by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Already the party has subdued its line of attack cancelling the plan of besieging the Chief Minister, and shifting the venue of hunger strike from Mohali to party headquarters in Chandigarh after turning it into a relay. “I will approach Jagmeet Brar, Capt Amarinder and other senior leader to garner complete support on the demand of CBI inquiry into the matter…This is not my personal fight…I am fighting for the people. If still they want me to invite them…I’ll do that,” said Bajwa.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president’s decision came a day after the High Court refused to entertain the party’s two petition — one filed by Bajwa and another by Jagmeet Brar — while giving them liberty to assist the Court in another petition having larger scope. Denying that party’s petitions have been “dismissed”, Bajwa said that the Court has in fact clubbed it with the earlier petition in the same matter. “Our counsel will intervene to put up evidence and arguments in the High Court during hearing scheduled for January 29,” he added.
“I have full faith in the judiciary….we hope that the Court would mark the inquiry to CBI….I have already met the Union Home Minister on this issue, but his maintained that either the state government or Court could pass the order in this regard,” said Bajwa, as the party’s agitation on the issue entered third day.