Expressing solidarity with Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Capt Amarinder Singh on the issue of boycotting the Khadoor Sahib by-election, the sitting Congress legislators in Punjab Vidhan Sabha have said that the party had taken the right decision by boycotting the by-election.
In a joint statement Congress legislators have said, “Since the issue of desecration and the killing of peaceful and innocent protestors by the police, in protest of which our colleague Ramanjit Singh Sikki resigned, continues to remain unresolved, there is no point in contesting the election”.
They have also said “contesting the bye-election when the issues remain unresolved would have defeated the very purpose of resignation for which it was submitted”.
The joint statement has been released by Congress legislative Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi, former Chief Minister and ClP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former ClP leader Sunil Jakhar, laal Singh, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Navtej Cheema, Brahm Mohindra, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Rana Sodhi, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Surinder Dawer among others.
The legislators have also questioned the moral authority of the Akalis to contest the by-election asking the party as with what face it can go to the people. “When the culprits remain unidentified and unpunished what moral right you have to seek election from hereIJ” they have asked.
On the other hand, PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh has challenged the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to dissolve the assembly and go for a snap poll if he was really so confident about his party’s popularity in the state.
Reacting to Sukhbir’s statement that the Congress had run away from the election, Capt Amarinder reiterated, “we have boycotted the election on the matter of principle as the issues on which our MlA Ramanjit Singh Sikki resigned still remain unresolved”.
He said, “Congress would have won the by-election in any case since people of Khadoor Sahib endorsed Sikki’s decision to resign.”
“But for us retaining a single seat in the Vidhan Sabha, with a leftover life of less than a year, is immaterial and our main concern and priority is to get those responsible for desecration and killing of peaceful protestors, punished, which we certainly will after forming the government in 2017”, he clarified.
The Punjab Congress chief added that the Akalis panic and lack of confidence can be best made out the way they are trying to eliminate the contestants much ahead of the elections by getting their nomination papers rejected.
Capt Amarinder also took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party for accusing Congress of having understanding with the Akalis over boycotting the election. “I have only one question for the AAP that if we have an understanding with the Akalis as we boycotted the bye-election on the matter of principle, why did it (the AAP) not contest itselfIJ” he asked, while hoping that AAP will come out with the reason for not contesting.