Amarinder urges Moga voters to reject Jain
Thursday, 10/01/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130110/punjab.htm#1
Moga : In view of the forthcoming byelection to the Moga assembly seat, the Congress today launched its campaign with PCC president Capt Amarinder Singh addressing a rally here.
He exhorted people to deliver their verdict against Joginderpal Jain, former Congress MLA who has joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Amarinder said he would camp here once the byelection was announced and would visit every village to campaign for the Congress candidate.
Other senior leaders of the party, including CLP Leader Sunil Jhakhar, CWC member Jagmeet Singh Brar and MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, accused Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and Public Relations Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia of having "trampled the democratic values to safeguard their personal interests".
Amarinder said the Moga byelection would prove a turning point in the state's politics. He claimed the party would repeat its performance in the Adampur byelection when the Congress defeated the SAD despite the latter being in power.
The PCC president said the ruling SAD should not assume that it would remain in power for full five years. "We have seen President's rule being imposed", he said, referring to the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state.
He accused Majithia of "sheltering" the mafia and muscle power and urged the Chief Minister to "contain him". He criticised the "abusive" language used by Majithia against Rana Gurjeet in the state assembly and said such incidents reflected poorly on the Badal government. He expressed surprise over Badal's stand on the issue, saying one day he snubbed Majithia for eyeing his chair and the other day came out in his defence.
Capt Amarinder said: "Jain had once said he was a businessman. He is now with the right people who are busy just watching their business interests". Brar said the Moga byelection would decide the fate of Jain. He expressed confidence that the people of Moga would teach a lesson to Jain.
Jakhar ridiculed Jain's statement that he (Jain) had certain compulsions to join the Akali Dal. He said such leaders did not have any compulsions but only weaknesses that make them succumb to temptations.
Those present included sitting legislators Arvind Khanna, Rana Gurjeet, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Surinder Dawer, Modhammad Sadiq, Amrik Dhillon, Gurkirat Kotli, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Punjab Mahilla Congress president Malti Thapar and Punjab Youth Congress president Vikram Chaudhry.
To screen Majathia’s video
The Congress has decided to play the controversial CD which contains video footage of Public Relations Minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia "hurling expletives" during the recent assembly session at the Maghi Mela on January 13 in Muktsar. PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh said: "No authority can stop us from screening what has already been in circulation on the internet".
