The wheels of the Congress party appear to be not moving in tandem.The controversy over surfacing of Punjab Cabinet Minister Bikram Singh Majithia’s name in the multi-crore drug racket has brought to the fore existence of different factions within the Congress.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday made frantic attempts to prove himself to be the “boss” and that the final decision on the party’s further course of action in the matter would be his. This attempt by Bajwa assumes significance as different factions within the party appeared to be moving in different directions on the issue of the tackling the ruling party in the drug racket case.
Bajwa on Wednesday organised a press conference to announce the party’s detailed programme of protests against the State Government to create pressure for acting against Majithia and order CBI probe, and cautioning the authorities to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court if demands were not met.
Besides, the party president also announced to organise three-hour symbolic State-wide bandh on roads, in addition to series of protests by party’s various frontal organisations, besieging the Chief Minister, among other things. Bajwa’s announcements came at a time when party’s senior leader and former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar has already moved the High Court seeking probe from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter. In fact, the High Court has put the state of Punjab on notice fixing January 28 as the next date of hearing.
Party’s spokesperson and former MlA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has, only a day before, announced to organise Jail Bharo Andolan (Fill Jails Agitation) on the same issue. Snubbing all the queries regarding decisions of both the leaders, Bajwa asserted: “I am the president…let me also do something.” On asking about the absence of senior party leaders on the podium while announcing the party’s programme, Bajwa defended that the president is the one who take the decision.
Currently, Bajwa is under fire after announcement of the PPCC office bearers’ list that followed series of resignations and criticism. During his mass contact programmes too, senior party leaders — former Chief Ministers Capt Amarinder Singh, and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, besides the Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Jakhar, were conspicuous by their absence.