Not against Rahul’s elevation as boss: Capt
Wednesday, 29/04/2015
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AMRITSAR: Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and local MP Capt Amarinder Singh reiterated that he has never been against the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president and considers him an energetic and dynamic leader with a vision for the party and the country.
He hailed his visit to Punjab to assess the losses suffered by the farmers and the problems they were facing in the mandis (grain markets) across the state. The former Punjab chief minister had through an SMS on Monday night informed the Congress vice president of the wheat procurement problem.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Amarinder clarified that he had only said given the personality-driven politics prevalent in India, Sonia Gandhi was doing an excellent job.
“Nowhere, whether on television or in the print media have I ever opposed Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress president,” he said.
The MP further said that Rahul had scored a point in Parliament while raising the issues concerning farmers in the ongoing budget session.
‘CENTRE, STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR NON PROCUREMENT OF WHEAT’
The former chief minister said that he had full sympathies with the protesting farmers and they had been forced to stage protests. Replying to a question about farmers’ dharna blocking trains and buses, he said he had already warned the government that the situation was getting out of control and may lead to a law and order problem for which both the state as well as the central governments will be responsible.
Later Amarinder visited the grain market at Raja Sansi and talked to the farmers there. He shared the farmers’ concern over the unusual delay by the government in procuring their produce. He expressed surprise as why the government was not lifting the wheat crop and not making payment to the farmers when it had already got the cash credit from the centre.
Earlier during the day a delegation of the Punjab Beopar Mandal led by its president Amrit Lal Jain met the Congress MP at the residence of local MLA OP Soni.
The delegation sought clarification on certain contentious issues on the proposed GST fearing that this might put additional financial and taxation burden on the trade. The delegation members urged him to raise the matter in the concerned quarters.
