Jagmeet sends shock waves to Cong

Wednesday, 23/03/2016

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=152506&boxid=58477&uid=&dat=2016-03-23

Chandigarh : Stating that Congress is currently at position three with AAP ranking at the top in Punjab, firebrand leader Jagmeet Singh Brar, a former Congress MP, on Tuesday sent shock waves to his party leadership. Brar, who has been eagerly waiting for the party high command to assign him some responsibility in Punjab since he returned to the Congress fold after quitting it in January last year, went on saying that “Congress needs to work on ground level as the connect with grass-root workers is missing today.”

Speaking to Daily Post from Delhi, after posting some tweets in expression of his viewpoint, Brar said, “I am not against anyone but it’s a very serious matter how the CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi was left alone to defend himself as well as the party against the seasoned leaders of ruling SAD-BJP combine in Vidhan Sabha.” “It was all done in a planned way to twist the arm of the high command,” he opined, hinting that some ‘senior leaders’ in the party’s state unit didn’t want him to be there in the chair. 

Reiterating his tweet in which he termed the proceedings for de-notification the SYL issue in Punjab Vidhan Sabha as a masterstroke of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Congress leader said, ‘’In 2004 Captain Amarinder Singh had played the same stroke by getting the Termination of Agreements Acts passed but this time the grand old man Parkash Singh Badal has created history.” 

Sounding quite respectful for Badal, the Congress leader went on reminding: “In 1994 when I defended Punjab on the SYL issue in Lok Sabha, Parkash Singh Badal and his brother Gurdas Singh Badal had appreciated my speech, saying: “Kaka Ji Rakh Wakhai Hai Tusi Punjab Dee”. 

Asked about the foreign accounts of Amarinder Singh’s son and wife, Brar said: “I hope the things are all being done in a procedural way and as per the law. So, Amarinder and family should stand boldly and face the trial. If they have not committed wrong, they would come out clean.” 

Reacting to the reports of him joining the AAP, Brar said: “There is no formal talk on the subject from either side. It’s like status quo situation.” Asked about his expectation from Congress, Brar said: “Malwa region needs a good leader to represent. There are 65 constituencies in that pocket of the state but currently if one believes me on the basis of my political experience, Congress is getting just 15 at this juncture.” “I am ready to take the responsibility of that pocket with an assurance to put my best for making the party return to power this time,” said Brar. 

Among others who joined the congress was Vijay Pandori, Amarjit Khuttan, Jatinder Mohan, Sukhdev Singh Chaukria, Parminder Both, Beant Singh Bawa, Ginai Husan Lal, Jaswinder Kaur, Balwinder Singh Bodh and Balvir Thakur. Punjab’s BSP unit president Avtar Singh Karimpuri, however, said that both Nangal and Sikri were given a chance to work but they had stopped working for the past some time. “Their decision to join congress has not come up as a surprise for us. Both Nangal and Sikri must have indulged in supporting the Akalis, that is why they were aware of such anti-party activities,” he said.