Results wake-up call for Cong: Bajwa
Monday, 09/12/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131209/punjab.htm#6
Moga : Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Partap Singh Bajwa today said the defeat in four states was a wake-up call for the party ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to mediapersons before addressing a rally at Nihalsinghwala, he said post-Independence, the Congress had faced defeat on several occasions and the assembly poll results would not have any impact on the parliamentary elections.
To a query, he said the Congress leadership accepted the defeat in humility and would analyse the reasons for the setback. “But the situation in Punjab is different. The unprecedented gathering at today’s rally here reflects the mindset of the people,” he said.
Bajwa said the Congress would oppose the visit of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to Punjab on December 22. He said their protest was not on account of political differences but because the Gujarat Government had “uprooted” 1,500 Sikh farmers (in Gujarat) by amending property rights.
Bajwa flayed the SAD-BJP Government for “wasting” funds on Investors’ Summit in Mohali and NRI sammelans. He said the state government had hired an American firm Apco that had earlier promoted the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, thus wasting crores collected through taxes.
Former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said the SAD-BJP Government was like a “misguided missile that will ruin Punjab”. She said the Badals were using every opportunity to boost their business and amass wealth even as the state farmers were getting poorer.
Congress leaders Darshan Singh Brar, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Malti Thapar, Joginder Singh Panjgrain and Raja Amarinder Singh Warring were among others who addressed the gathering.
