The war of words and battle for factional supremacy in Punjab Congress between former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa continued on Monday. A day after Bajwa welcomed Capt Amarinder’s decision to organise a drug rally on January 22 and maintained that the same would be held under PPCC umbrella, the Patiala Royal practically refused to accept the same and in fact, asked the PPCC chief to contact the coordinator of the rally.
Capt Amarinder, also Amritsar MP, on Monday maintained that January 22 Amritsar rally was “purely a constituency rally” which is being organised by the party leadership of Amritsar parliamentary constituency with senior leader and Kapurthala MlA Rana Gurjeet Singh being its coordinator. “The organisers had made it categorically clear that they did not need the PPCC to get itself involved with it in any manner. However, if the PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa wants to attend the rally, he can convey his views and availability to Rana Gurjeet, who is coordinating the rally,” said Capt Amarinder.
Questioning PPCC’s claims that it had already announced to hold a rally at Amritsar on January 22, Capt Amarinder said: “Claiming that the rally had been already announced, when no such announcement had been made by the PPCC earlier, amounts to spreading lies and falsehood.” “Had there been any such programme decided or announced earlier, at least the Amritsar leaders including the MP, the MlAs and the district presidents of rural and urban units should be knowing about it,” he pointed, while stating that “the rally was being organised at Amritsar leaders’ behest only”.
After Capt Amarinder’s announcement to organize a rally on January 22, Bajwa announced his support to the decision, and welcomed the move. Capt Amarinder’s decision came after a meeting was held on Sunday under his leadership which was attended by 34 out of 44 MlAs, besides hundreds of senior party leaders.