Capt to meet Sonia, Rahul today; Bajwa to call on party vice-chief

Thursday, 20/08/2015

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CHANDIGARH: After his recent statements against the party have stirred a political storm, Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.

The meeting is crucial as the former CM, who had earlier been persistently demanding the replacement of Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, had recently hit out at the party’s stand on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill and Congress dharnas outside Parliament during the recently concluded monsoon session.

Amarinder, in an interview, has also expressed his unwillingness to be appointed as the campaign committee in-charge saying it is the state chief who leads the party into the polls. Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, too, will meet Rahul on Thursday to apprise him of the party programme to mobilise masses.

Bajwa, in a press conference, on Wednesday announced to hold 10 rallies in September and then kick-start a six-monthlong padyatra from October 2. He said he had invited Rahul to be part of the padyatra and the latter had agreed. “I will again seek a date when I meet him on Thursday,” he said.

Indirectly hitting out at Amarinder, Bajwa threw an open challenge to his detractors who have labelled his rallies as a failure. “You can see our strength to pull crowds. Our only motto is to make Punjab Badal-mukt and we are not gunning after others,” he said. Amarinder, who had started a parallel mass contact programme, will continue with the second phase of rallies in September.

Closing ranks with former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who had a bitter war of words with Amarinder over the GST bill, Bajwa endorsed her and the party’s line on the GST bill and its agitation in and outside Parliament. “As a true Congressman, I abide by every decision taken by the party,” he said, adding, “It is strange that the BJP is now championing the GST, whereas it had disrupted Parliament to scuttle its adoption when it was moved during the UPA regime. Leading the opposition in the empowered committee on GST were the BJP-ruled states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The Congress is of the opinion that GST rates have to be moderate and reasonable so that unfair burden is not imposed on ordinary consumers. The Congress had proposed the highest ceiling rate of 18% as a reasonable, moderate and adequate revenue generating rate. The Modi government, however, has outright rejected this suggestion in the proposed bill increasing it to 25-27%. Moreover, proposal in the GST bill of permitting states to levy an additional 1% tax over and above the GST rate would lead to market distortion,” he added.

BAJWA URGES BHATTAL, CAPT TO FIGHT BADALS, NOT EACH OTHER
Replying to a query on allegations and counter-allegations being levelled by senior party leaders Capt Amarinder Singh and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal against each other, Bajwa appealed to them to desist from such activities that had the potential to harm the party.

‘BRING LEADERSHIP ISSUE BEFORE PARTY, NOT PUBLIC’
Reacting to Amarinder’s assertion that he (Bajwa) should be replaced, Bajwa said Amarinder should flag the issue with the party high command, and not with the public. “I am a foot soldier of the party and always abide by the decision of the party high command.”

Reacting to Amarinder’s assertion that state leaders should be taken into confidence by the party while deciding the leadership issue, Bajwa said he wanted to make a counter-question. “Was Captain appointed the PCC chief twice with or without consultation with state leaders?”