Miffed Ghubaya takes off turban before meeting CM
Thursday, 08/12/2016
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
BADAL HAD APPARENTLY CALLED THE RAI SIKH LEADER TO PLACATE HIM AS THE COMMUNITY HAS FORMIDABLE PRESENCE IN FAZILKA AND FEROZEPUR DISTRICTS.
CHANDIGARH: A day after an engineering college run by his family in Fazilka district was raided by the vigilance bureau (VB), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Sher Singh Ghubaya met chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here on Wednesday, reportedly without wearing the traditional turban. The move is being seen as a symbolic but strong way of lodging protest over his being humiliated by the party through the vigilance raids.
It is learnt that when Ghubaya called on Badal, he had his head covered with a ‘parna’ (scarf) and had taken off his turban.
The CM had apparently called the miffed Rai Sikh leader to placate him as the community has formidable presence in the border districts of Fazilka and Ferozepur. The meeting was a part of SAD efforts to iron out the differences with Ghubaya, who was upset over the VB raids conducted at the Ghubaya College of Engineering and Technology at Sukhera Bodla village near Jalalabad in Fazilka district in the wake of reports that the MP’s son Devinder Singh was set to join the Congress.
Sources say the MP, who had defeated Congress stalwart Sunil Jakhar in 2014 Lok Sabha elections by a margin 31,420 votes and won five of the nine assembly segments, had a long meeting with Badal. When contacted, the MP, however, refused to be drawn into a controversy over the issue, repeatedly saying that he was a “loyal soldier of the SAD” and blamed his rivals within the SAD for “spreading” reports about his son’s alleged attempts to join the Congress.
Sources say behind the scene parleys were still on with Ghubaya to assuage his hurt feelings. During the raids, the VB had examined the records of the Ghubaya College in connection with alleged financial irregularities. PATIALA, FEROZE PUR: Feigning ignorance over the vigilance bureau (VB) raids at an engineering college owned by the family of Ferozepur MP Sher Singh Ghubaya, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday said Gubaya is “like a family member” and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has no differences with him.
On being asked how the vigilance bureau can raid without the CM’s nod, Badal said “I was not aware of it. Ghubaya is a respectable member of party. I will check if such a thing has happened. The party has no differences with Ghubaya.” The CM was talking to mediapersons at Tohra in Patiala district.
Meanwhile, sources said Ghubaya’s son Devinder Singh, who was scheduled to join the Congress after he was denied SAD ticket for the assembly polls, has backtracked after the Monday raid at the Ghubaya College of Engineering and Technology at Sukhera Bodla village in Fazilka district. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh’s press conference scheduled for Wednesday to announce Devinder’s entry into the party has been cancelled.
SAD MP SKIPS SUKHBIR’S JALALABAD SANGAT DARSHAN
Meanwhile, Ghubaya skipped deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s sangat darshan and other programmes at Jalalabad in Fazilka district on Wednesday. “I am in New Delhi to attend the ongoing session of Parliament,” he told HT over phone, when asked about his absence at party programmes.
“I sought SAD ticket (for Devinder) for any of the four border assembly segments of the Ferozepur parliamentary seat, but the party ignored our request for the reasons best known to the high command,” said Ghubaya. “I and my family have ever been loyal to the SAD and will never leave the party,” he asserted while terming reports about his changing loyalty as “handiwork of his political opponents within and outside the party”.
He added that none of his family members will contest from Malout, as being reported by a section of media.
