Even as the hostilities between the legislature and the executive are yet to bring to a close, the Punjab is witnessing another battle — this time between its two Cabinet Ministers.
A day after a Congress MLA claimed that senior Congressman and Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had “threatened” his Cabinet colleague Charanjit Singh Channi, who was involved in a face-off with the Chief Secretary past week, the two Ministers on Thursday came out in open.
While Bajwa categorically refused to “threaten” his Cabinet colleague in any way during his visit to the latter’s residence, Channi minced no words to claim that “every single word reported in the media and said by the MLA Joginder Pal is true”.
Available information suggests that the issue has also reached the Delhi Durbar — a development, coupled with the Chief Secretary’s incident, that may lead to some troubles for the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Notably, the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has been regularly holding videoconference meeting with the Chief Minister regarding prevailing situation amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Channi maintained that he had apprised the Chief Minister and Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar about the matter, and as “it is a party issue, they would now look into it. I, in fact, don’t want to raise this issue. But when I see Tript Bajwa denying everything on TV channels, I have to come out and speak the truth”.
Notably, Bhoa MLA Joginder Pal, a day before, created a flutter in the state’s political circles by claiming that Tript Bajwa had threatened Channi with “reopening of an old case” when the latter refused to bury the hatchet with Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh.
“Channi told me that Bajwa threatened him with the reopening of some old complaint against him,” Pal had said adding that all Dalit MLAs were with Channi and would meet the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh over this incident.
Going into background of the matter, Channi along with Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal had taken exception to the Chief Secretary’s “unacceptable behaviour” at a pre-Cabinet meeting on Saturday when Channi opposed any relief for liquor vend owners in the amended excise policy under discussion.
The chief secretary had allegedly made some “curt remarks” after Channi spoke at the meeting. Manpreet and Channi had then walked out, followed by the other Ministers later. A day after, all Ministers unanimously decided to boycott the Chief Secretary, with the top bureaucrat staying away from the Cabinet Meeting on Monday.
To resolve the issue, Tript Bajwa had visited Channi. Even the Chief Minister had also spoke to Channi but he refused to budge.