Cong leaders meet Prez, Capt absent
Wednesday, 20/05/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
New Delhi : Disunity in the Punjab Congress came to the fore again today with Punjab’s former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and leaders close to him conspicuously absent at the meeting of the party delegation with President Pranab Mukherjee to demand the dismissal of the Akali Dal-led state government.
Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar also skipped the delegation that met the President to demand not just the imposition of President’s Rule in the state, but also a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe into the assets of the ruling Badal family.
The Congress justified its demand for President’s Rule in Punjab citing deteriorating law and order situation in the state with special reference to the Moga incident and drug menace.
“The state has become a private colony of the Badals,” said the memorandum the delegation submitted to the President. The memo says, “Given the alarming situation of Punjab, a border state, if you don’t take immediate remedial measures…the state would cease to exist under the Union of India. In view of complete failure and breakdown of the administrative and constitutional machinery in Punjab, we urge you to impose President’s Rule and dismiss the state government under Article 356 of the Constitution.”
The delegation also accused the Badals of “amassing unparalleled disproportionate wealth”.
This wealth should be investigated by the CBI under a commission of inquiry supervised by the sitting judge of the Supreme Court, said the delegation.
The team comprised Congress general secretary Punjab Shakeel Ahmad, AICC secretary Punjab Harish Choudhry, former ministers Ambika Soni and Ashwani Kumar, Punjab Congress ex-president HS Hanspal, senior state leaders SS Dullo and Brahm Mohindra, MP Ravneet Bittu, and MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Charanjit Bajwa, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Kuljit Nagra, Surender Dawar, and Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
