DAY AFTER SUSPENSION, AKALI MLAS SPEAK OUT
A day after his suspension from the Akali Dal, Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh today took on party president Sukhbir Badal, terming him as a “visionless leader who takes decisions as per his own whims and fancies”.
The hockey Olympian minced no words in lashing out at the Badals. He alleged that Sukhbir had made the Akali Dal a one-man party having sycophants and touts as its members.
Though Pargat refrained from revealing his future plan, he showed his inclination towards the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
“I need time to think over it,” he said, but made it amply clear that his exit from the Akali Dal was just a matter of time.
Brushing aside the general impression of AAP being dubbed as “a party of inexperienced people”, Pargat said: “At least, AAP will not bring the state to such worse condition as it has been under the Akali regime.”
Pargat also lauded Navjot Singh Sidhu for resigning from the Rajya Sabha. "We are good friends and we often talk on the phone. I have not been able to contact him since he resigned,” he said.
Pargat said: “Sidhu was a hitter and I was a defender in our respective sport. We both can make a good combination.”
“I was in two minds initially as to whether to continue in politics or not, but after my suspension, I have decided to stay put in the Punjab's political arena. I am determined to take the fight head on for the betterment of Punjab,” he said.
He also attacked on Senior Badal, accusing him of misleading the people of his constituency saying that the solid waste management project was being scrapped, while in reality nothing happened.
Amritsar South MLA Inderbir Singh Bolaria today said he had no immediate plans to quit the SAD or join any other party. He, however, said there was no question of looking back. He is believed to be in talks with the Congress and AAP.
"I don't deny having meeting Capt Amarinder Singh or Arvind Kejriwal. I have many options, but it will take a few months to take a final call. My only consideration will be the welfare of my constituency. The shifting of the solid waste management plant will be the priority," he said.
Once close to Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia, Bolaria was among the first batch of 19 MLAs elevated to the post of Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) after the 2012 Assembly elections. He was also made Majha zone president of the Youth Akali Dal in 2013.
"I was expecting him (Sukhbir Badal) to dismiss me, but he kept an escape route open. I am well aware of the pressure tactics of Sukhbir and Majithia, but I will not let them succeed. First, they removed me from the YAD post, followed by CPS position," he said.
Bolaria said the trouble began during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "I had suggested the SAD-BJP top brass to tell all leaders whose names surfaced in the land, sand and drug mafia to maintain a low profile. This had not gone down well with Sukhbir and Majithia," he said.
Badal said turncoats never got a respected place and were always ignored by the leaders and people alike. He said a person should remain loyal to his party despite differences of opinion. He said even during difficult times, he never changed his party which got him respect and the CM’s post for the fifth time.
On CPS Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s outbursts against the SAD, Badal said any action against her could be taken by the BJP. He said Navjot Sidhu’s induction into any other party would not affect the SAD-BJP alliance as he was already out of the state’s politics for the past two years.
Badal today held his Sagat Darshan at Sherpur, Patti Khaleel, Ramnagar Chhanna and Tibba villages in the Mehal Kalan constituency.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, former BJP Rajya Sabha MP, has not insisted for his nomination as Aam Aadmi Party’s CM candidate for Punjab, said a party source.
Sidhu has not demanded any post, said a senior AAP leader privy to the discussions the party had with the cricketer-turned-politician. “In fact, he is supportive of the party’s one family, one ticket norm. He and Kejriwal are aiming for the 2019 national elections. In Punjab elections, he will be campaigning as per his own wish,” the leader said.
On the probable time of his joining the party, he said Sidhu had some commitments with a TV channel and he would be available next week.
“He will join the Aam Aadmi Party either in Delhi or Chandigarh in the presence of national convener Arvind Kejriwal after a week,” he said.
“During his meeting with Kejriwal and others, Sidhu told them that he was a man of principles who was suffocated for long among unprincipled politicians. He wants to do something for the welfare of Punjab but shares the vision of nation building with Kejriwal,” he said.
The party leader said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership should see the writing on the wall. "The signs are ominous. Prominent faces from various walks of life are joining AAP, which gives a clear indication of the rising popularity of the party," he added.
After a few minutes, when an Additional District Collector, Sub Divisional Magistrate and a circle officer of Rajasthan Police reached, the minister was heard asking them, “Were you not informed about my programme?”
Interacting with mediapersons at the Circuit House later, Sampla said cricketer-turned-parliamentarian Navjot Sidhu had not quit the BJP. Why will he join the Aam Aadmi Party, which is just a theatrical group?” he asked. “None of the AAP leaders, be it Arvind Kejariwal, Manish Sisodia or Bhagwant Mann, is a mature politician. They battle for media publicity by making exaggerated statements,” he said.
Responding to questions over stir complaining the shortage of water for Rajasthan, he said people in Punjab too were complaining of insufficient water, so how could neighbours expect more water than what people of Punjab were getting.
Addressing party workers at a rally here today, senior Congress leader and Sanaur MLA Lal Singh accused the Badals of amassing wealth to the tune of crores of rupees during their rule. “No one is richer than the Badals in Punjab,” he said while addressing the party activists.
Making it clear that he would contest the 2017 elections from Sanaur, Lal Singh said all speculations about his shifting to another constituency were baseless. “I have been working for the constituency for the past 39 years. I first contested from the constituency in 1977. There should be no doubt about my candidature from the constituency,” he said.
“Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal is holding a sangat darshan in Patiala today where the administration and other leaders from his party are trying to ensure a good turnout. However, in our workers’ meet, the presence of thousands of party activists have turned it into a rally,” he added amidst a loud applause by the gathering.
“On the one hand, the Akalis are protecting and shielding the drug mafia and on the other, they want a crackdown against them. The situation has gone from bad to worst in the past nine years of their rule,” he said.
Lal Singh further took a dig at the Aam Admi Party (AAP), claiming that rumours were being spread through the social media. “The AAP government in Delhi has failed to fulfill its promises. After 10 years of misrule in the state, the people of the state should be aware of the AAP strategy. AAP leaders are just power hungry and have no experience and credibility,” he said.
Former MP Rana Gurjeet Singh and Patiala (Rural) MLA Brahm Mohindra also attended the rally.
As a cold war between the SAD and its alliance partner BJP rages on in Punjab ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections, it is also visible from the hoardings that have been put across the city.
Almost all intersections of the city have been all of a sudden covered with hoardings pointing to development works in the city but these all attribute the work to the major partner-Akali Dal with only the photographs of the Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal visible on them. A huge hoarding regarding Bhai Jaita Singh memorial coming up at Anandpur Sahib has been erected right along the entrance of the district administrative complex, others can be seen across the various chowks, entry and exit points and T-junctions within the city. Another hoarding in the series ‘Vikas de 9 saal’ with bold portraits of the CM point to works like four and six laning of roads in Punjab alongwith their pictorial display at the back. There is another one that points to 102 high level bridges, 65 railway overbridges and four flyovers. There is another one where the government boasts of setting up of seven new nursing schools.
A senior BJP leader fumed, “Such a move of the party is uncalled for. At the least photograph of the state president or our legislative party leader should have been added. Such a courtesy is expected at least in the city which is a hometown of our chief Vijay Sampla as well as legislative party leader and minister Bhagat Chunni Lal.”
The anti-SAD wave within the BJP cadres locally is already raging especially since cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu has resigned. Even the tussle between BJP Mayor Sunil Jyoti and SAD’s Senior Deputy Mayor Kamaljit Bhatia has divided the city residents. The coordination committees set up in the past too have not brought result on the issue with now senior ministers deputed to resolve the matter.
The residents of the constituency have not been able to have the services of their legislator for a full term for the second time now as Jagbir Brar, who had been elected on the SAD ticket, too had left the party in April 2011 to join his cousin Manpreet Badal’s People’s Party of Punjab. There had been no elections consequently and the area residents had been left to fend for their demands on their own for the remaining part of the last year.
Brar had re-contested but from Congress ticket but had lost to Pargat Singh, who got the ticket at the eleventh hour. He too is now on the brink of vacating the seat. The area of the constituency is rid with several problems. The residents of Jamsher and surrounding villages do not want a Solid Waste Management project to come here. The dairy complex here is already in the shambles making the lives of the villagers around very difficult. A sewage treatment plant there is already affecting the residents because of the stench it emanates.
Other 10 points pertaining to the constituency which Pargat raised today were problems related to removing of octroi posts, restriction on creating passages for 13 surrounding villages and colonies, no fire brigade, restriction on installing mobile towers, encroachments on 120-feet road, problem in allotment of land for cremation ground in Garha, inaction on 200 illegal buildings, sewage problems near Deep Nagar and negligible development in seven wards falling in the city limits.
SAD leaders up their ante against Pargat
The SAD leaders from the area and SGPC member Paramjit Singh Raipur, who has even been a contender for ticket last time, has said, “Our party has made blunders twice by handing over the ticket from the area to the government officials but we expect it not to repeat the mistake. The efforts of the party workers who have been working diligently for years must be honoured.”
He vent his ire at Brar, who has served as Block Development and Panchayat Officer, and Pargat Singh, who has been Director Sports, during a media interaction here, “These parachute leaders have been so thankless. We toiled relentlessly to help them reach the victory post but they have never looked back towards us or acknowledged our efforts even in words. We appreciate the move of the party president Sukhbir Badal to suspend such a thankless MLA”.
Muslim wing coordinator of the Youth Akali Dal Ayub Khan too issued a statement against Pargat saying that while earlier he had refused the CPS post, he had now started making statements against the government which was not acceptable.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Punjab Rajinder Kaur Bhattal today said the BJP used Navjot Singh Sidhu and he was left with no other option, but to quit. “If he wishes to join the Congress, the party will welcome him with open arms since his father was also a Congressman. He has a history with the Congress so, the party will be happy to welcome him,” Bhattal said while addressing the workers’ meeting of the North Constituency here today.
She termed the nine-year term of the present government as “black period” since the industry was moving out of the state and there was no growth in the economy of Punjab, except for the rising graph of wealth of the badal family.
“Ludhiana was once the hub of hosiery and cycle industry, but now every industry is moving out from the state and investors are reluctant to invest. Nearly 22,000 industrial units have moved out from the state. How can one expect business to grow under such circumstances,” she added.
Lashing out at the BJP and AAP, she said both the parties were not interested in the welfare of the people. “The government at the Centre is discriminating against the state and the Punjab Government is a mute spectator. Meanwhile, AAP has nothing to offer and has badly failed in Delhi,” Bhattal said.
She further said AAP had no ideology of their own. I fail to understand what will they offer to the people of Punjab, she added.
Taking a dig at AAP, Bhattal said the party symbol of AAP was a broom and in Punjab, the broom in standing position was a bad omen. So, the party in itself is a bad omen for the state of Punjab, she added.
“Election 2017 is a mission for us and we are on a mission to bring back prosperity in the state of Punjab,” Bhattal added.
Shankar informed that along with the general media team, a separate social media team had been set-up to disseminate all kind of information through the social media, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc. Members of the general zone media team include Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, Advoate Inderjit Kaur, Dupinder Singh (youth wing), Dharminder Singh (ex-servicemen wing), Harbans Kaur (women’s wing), Harpreet Singh Daad (SC wing) and Umesh Chhabra. He added that Kanav Vats had been appointed the new head of the team.
Pargat slams Sukhbir for ‘ruining’ Akali Dal
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 20
Bolaria: I am in no hurry to join another party
GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 20
Turncoats are not respected: Badal
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, July 20
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said any person who did not work for the welfare of his party had no right to be part of it. He said this on a query regarding the suspension of SAD MLAs Pargat Singh and Inderbir Singh Bolaria.Sidhu to join AAP unconditionally?
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 20
‘Forced’ to wait at railway station, Sampla fumes
Abohar, July 20
Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and state BJP president Vijay Sampla had to wait for a “reception” as per protocol at the Sriganganagar railway station this morning when he saw that no senior state government officer had turned up. Some BJP activists were present to offer garlands but senior leaders, too, were nowhere to be seen. Sampla had travelled from New Delhi to Sriganganagar by a train. He was scheduled to attend a bhog ceremony of his relative in Srivijaynagar.Badals amassed crores of rupees during their tenure: Sanaur MLA
Tribune News Service
Patiala, July 20
SAD-BJP cold war out in open
Intersections of the city have hoardings attributing only Akali Dal
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 20
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| Hoardings of govt’s achievements credit only the Badals in Jalandhar. Photos: Sarabjit Singh |
Is Jalandhar Cantonment a jinxed constituency?
Deepkamal Kaur
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 20
If the suspended SAD MLA Pargat Singh quits or is removed by the party, either of which can be expected in the next few days, the Jalandhar Cantonment will go vacant mid-term for the second consecutive tenure of the Akali rule.SAD leaders up their ante against Pargat
Sidhu was used by BJP: Bhattal
Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, July 20
AAP forms social media team for Ludhiana Zone
Ludhiana, July 20
A comprehensive media team has been formed for Ludhiana zone by AAP to effectively highlight the activities and programmes of the party. State joint secretary, Administration and Grievances Wing, and Ludhiana zone media coordinator Darshan Singh Shankar, today released the list of the media team to the press.
Appointed
Congress councillor Sanjay Talwar has been appointed as secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Thaking Amarinder SIngh, Sanjay said he would perform his duties with utmost sincerity and try to meet the expectations of the party.— TNS
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