Rahul coming, PPCC plans united show

Thursday, 10/10/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131010/punjab.htm#2

Sangrur : The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is hoping to put up a united show at its rally here tomorrow, which would be addressed, among others, by party national vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla today set aside rumours that former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would not be attending the rally as “the latter had not been adjusted on the stage with Rahul Gandhi". Singla said he had spoken to Amarinder Singh and that the latter would be participating in the event.

Among others, Union Ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni, Congress’ Punjab affairs in charge Shakeel Ahmed, state unit chief Partap Singh Bajwa, CLP leader Sunil Jakhar and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal were likely to be present on the dais.

Congress leaders, however, said the list of dignitaries who would be seated on the stage would be finalised only by tomorrow.

While Rahul Gandhi and a select few leaders would be seated on the main stage, Congress MPs, MLAs and other senior leaders would be present on another stage adjacent to the main stage. There would be yet another stage for the artistes performing at the event.

A huge ‘pandal’ has been erected for the rally. Singla said they were expecting more than a lakh people.

Rahul Gandhi would first lay the stone for the PGI’s satellite cancer centre at Ghabdan Kothi, 10 km from here, and then address the rally next to the proposed hospital site. The 300-bedded hospital, to come up on 25 acres of land, is to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000-crore.

The stone-laying ceremony, however, is likely to turn into a Congress show. The state government is learnt to have not received any invite for the event. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal even wrote to the Prime Minister today, expressing his displeasure on not being invited for the event. Badal claimed it was the Punjab Government that had struggled for the project and provided free land for it.

On Badal not being invited, local Congress MP Vijay Inder Singla said he was not in the know of things as all invitations had been sent by the Director, PGI, Chandigarh.

After laying the foundation stone, Rahul Gandhi would be addressing a rally next to the proposed hospital site. Around 1,700 police personnel have been deployed to ensure fool-proof security for the rally, one of the Congress’ biggest events in Punjab in recent past.

The district administration has made the Sangrur Sub-Divisional Magistrate the in charge for the programme.

Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Indu Malhotra said the district administration had no information so far whether anybody from the Punjab Government would be participating in the stone-laying ceremony.

Senior Superintendent of Police Mandip Singh Sidhu said fool-proof arrangements had been made for the Congress leader’s visit to Sangrur.