News Analysis India

Tag: Punjab Chief Minister

  • 78 Congress MLAs demanded Amarinder Singh’s removal, not Sonia Gandhi: Surjewala 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday claimed that it was not party president Sonia Gandhi who made Amarinder Singh quit as the Punjab chief minister but he had to quit after 78 party MLAs sought his removal.

    Surjewala’s remarks came as Amarinder Singh had accused the Congress leadership of “humiliating” him after he tendered his resignation as the Punjab CM.

    Amarinder Singh was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi after Congress chose him as the new legislative party leader last month.

    Congress general secretary Surjewala said when any chief minister loses the confidence of all of his legislators, he should not remain in his post.

    “Seventy-eight out of 79 legislators (in Punjab) had written for a change of the chief minister. Had we not changed the CM, you would have accused us of being a dictator. Seventy-eight MLAs are on one side and a CM is on the other side and you are not listening to them,” said Surjewala while addressing the media here.

    “Sonia Gandhi is the president of the Congress party and the decision on changing the CM in Punjab was not taken by her. As I told you, 78 MLAs had written and then we changed the CM,” added Surjewala.

    Notably, Amarinder Singh had earlier rejected the charge of the Congress leadership that he had lost the confidence of the MLAs.

    The former chief minister had said he would quit the Congress which he had asserted was going downhill with senior leaders being ignored.

  • Shiromani Akali Dal flays CM Channi, Congress leaders for chartered flight to Delhi

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Taking a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s claim of “aam aadmi sarkar”, the Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday questioned the use of a chartered flight to Delhi by him and his deputies.

    Channi, his two deputies and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday flew to Delhi in a chartered flight to hold discussions over the new state Cabinet with the party’s central leadership, according to sources.

    Slamming the Congress leaders, the SAD in a tweet said, “After saying that they stand with the common man, INC leaders take private jets to travel just 250 kms from Chandigarh to Delhi. Are there no normal flights or cars that can be used?”

    ​ALSO READ | Channi, Sidhu to be faces for Punjab polls, says Congress amidst fresh firefighting

    “Or is this chest thumping aimed at propagation of Gandhi family’s Delhi darbar culture,” the party tweeted.

    In Delhi, the Congress leaders are expected to meet AICC general secretary Harish Rawat and other party leaders for deliberations on cabinet expansion, said party sources.

    Sidhu uploaded a photo of him in which he was seen with Channi and Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa beside a chartered plane.

    “In line of duty !!,” Sidhu tweeted.

  • Congress aims to play Dalit card in Gujarat, Maharashtra

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: After zeroing in on Charanjit Channi as the first Scheduled Caste Chief Minister of Punjab, the Congress aims to play a strong Dalit card in Maharashtra and Gujarat as well by inducting more and fresh faces from the community.

    As part of this well-orchestrated strategy, young SC leader Jignesh Mevani, who is an independent MLA in Gujarat, is likely to join the Congress. Besides, former Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti Shinde is likely to be appointed chairman of Vittal Mandir Trust or inducted into Uddhav Thackeray cabinet during future expansion.

    In Maharashtra, the dominating Congress Maratha leaders are part of Maha Vikas Aghad government. These include Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, PWD Minister Ashok Chavan and Satej Patil.However, to balance the power structure within the Congress, the party appointed OBC leader Nana Patole as its state chief.

    “The Congress is looking to expand its base in Vidarbha, which has traditionally been the Dalit and OBC dominating region. Earlier, it was the Congress’ stronghold but the BJP wrenched it from the party. Regaining its ground in 2019, the Congress won a significant number of assembly seats in Vidarbha. It aims to further consolidate its position in the region by winning as many seats as possible, said a senior Congress leader.

    Mumbai-based senior political analyst, Mangesh Kadam, said the BJP was known as a party of upper-caste Hindus. However, when it came to fielding candidates, it selected many SC leaders who got elected on reserved seats. “The Congress has taken a symbolic decision by making Channi the CM of Punjab. However, it is quite late in doing this. The BJP has ben ahead in giving more posts to Dalit and OBC leaders,” said Kadam.

  • NCW chief seeks Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s resignation over #MeToo allegations

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma has sought the resignation of newly-appointed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over the “#MeToo allegations” levelled against him.

    In a statement, Sharma said it was “shameful” that such a person was appointed the chief minister of Punjab.

    “This is shameful and highly objectionable that such a person has been appointed as the CM of Punjab. We do not want another woman to go through the same experience and endure the same harassment that the IAS officer would have faced. Channi needs to be held accountable and should resign from the post of CM,” she said.

    ​ALSO READ | ‘I am aam aadmi, mine is govt of the poor’: Charanjit Singh Channi sworn in as Punjab CM

    Sharma said that the Punjab State Commission for Women had taken cognisance of the incident yet the state government did not take any action against him.

    “I am shocked and utterly disappointed to find that Charanjit Singh Channi, a MeToo accused who had allegedly sent an inappropriate text message to a female IAS officer in 2018, has been appointed as the chief minister of Punjab,” Sharma said.

    “One can only imagine what would be the state of women safety in the state given the one at the helm of affairs is himself accused of threatening women security.

    ALSO READ | Charanjit Singh Channi’s journey from being elected to municipal council to becoming first Dalit CM of Punjab

    If an IAS officer has been denied justice in the state, how can the Congress ensure that the common women of Punjab would be safe? Despite being a woman herself, the Congress chief did not consider the MeToo allegations made against Channi and appointed him the CM,” she said.

    The issue had resurfaced in May this year when the Punjab women panel chief threatened to go on a hunger strike if the state government failed to apprise her within a week of its stand on the “inappropriate text” message allegedly sent by Channi, who was then a minister in the Amarinder Singh government.

    Punjab Women Commission chairperson Manisha Gulati had said she had written to the chief secretary seeking the government’s action taken report.

  • Cong made Charanjit Singh Channi CM for few months to grab Dalit votes in Punjab polls: BJP

    Charanjit Singh Channi, 58, was on Monday sworn in as chief minister of Punjab, making him the first Dalit to hold the top post in the state.

  • Will Congress take cognizance of Amarinder Singh’s ‘extremely serious’ charge against Sidhu and act: BJP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Seizing on outgoing Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s charge of anti-national against state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu, the BJP on Sunday said Singh has voiced an issue which the country had been grappling with and asked the opposition party if it will take cognizance of the allegations and take action.

    Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar termed Singh’s charges “extremely serious” and asked why Congress president Sonia Gandhi and its two other main leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have kept silence.

    “Such an extremely serious allegation has been levelled by the chief minister against the party president, and the Congress is silent. What does it mean? We demand that the Congress should speak up and make its stand clear,” he told reporters.

    “We want to ask if the Congress will take cognizance of such extremely serious allegations and take action,” Javadekar added.

    Hours after quitting as Punjab CM, Singh had on Saturday launched a no-holds-barred attack against Sidhu, calling him “anti-national”, “dangerous” and a “total disaster”.

    He had mentioned Sidhu’s praise for Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and him hugging its army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during a trip to the neighbouring country to slam his bete noire.

    Javadekar said the country had seen this and had been grappling with this issue.

     

  • Compulsory leave for Punjab govt employees if even one Covid vaccine dose not taken

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced on Friday that state government employees failing to take even the first dose of Covid vaccine for any reason other than medical will be compulsorily sent on leave after September 15.

    This strong measure, an official statement said, was announced by Singh to protect the people of the state from the disease, and to ensure that those who are vaccinated do not have to pay the price for continued vaccine hesitancy of those who are not.

    At the high-level virtual Covid review meeting held on Friday, the chief minister said vaccine effectiveness is evident from the data being analysed.

    Special efforts were taken to reach out to government employees, and those who continue to avoid getting vaccinated will now be asked to go on leave till they get the first dose, he said.

  • Congress reposes faith in Amarinder Singh, rebels seek Rahul audience

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: In a major jolt to four rebel ministers and nearly two dozen MLAs seeking the ouster of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the AICC on Wednesday reposed faith in the embattled leader. 

    Shortly after meeting a Punjab Congress leaders’ delegation in Dehradun, party’s general secretary and Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat asserted that Amarinder would lead the party’s charge in the 2022 Assembly election. The rebels on Tuesday had launched a broadside on Amarinder, claiming they had lost faith in his leadership over unfulfilled promises.

    The delegation to Dehradun comprised Amarinder’s once diehard supporters Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Charanjit Singh Channi. After the meeting, Rawat said: “The leaders expressed concerns over the functioning of the state government and shared their grievances. I will speak with the people concerned and apprise the high command of the situation. I had received similar complaints earlier, too. If the party MLAs fear that the district authorities may work against them, it is a serious matter.  We should work together for the party and find a solution to the grievances,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Channi said they were ready to abide by all decisions of the high command. “Our meeting with Rawat was satisfactory. He has assured us to bring our grievances to the notice of the high command,” he added. 

    Sources said after the Dehradun meeting, the four Punjab leaders left for Delhi to seek an audience with former party president Rahul Gandhi. Punjab Congress general secretary (organisation) Pargat Singh is already in Delhi with other leaders trying to fix an appointment with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, said sources.

    Meanwhile, Congress MP from Patiala and Amarinder’s wife Preneet Kaur slammed the disgruntled leaders and held Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu responsible for the turmoil. 

  • Kotkapura probe fresh flashpoint in Amarinder-Sidhu strained relations

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: The sparring match between Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu reached another flash point on Tuesday, with the incumbent daring the ex-cricketer to challenge him in his pocket borough of Patiala. Sidhu has been critical of his own government ever since the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report into the 2015 Kotkapura firing on April 9. 

    A day after Sidhu attacked the Congress dispensation over delay in justice, Amarinder made it clear that the party would not tolerate indiscipline. Daring Sidhu to challenge him from Patiala, Amarinder said the former India opener would meet the same fate of former army chief General J J Singh, who had lost his security deposit.

    Navjot Singh Sidhu In an official statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, Amarinder questioned Sidhu’s allegiance, asking whether he was a member of the Congress or not. “If yes, then his rant against his Chief Minister and the government amounts to gross indiscipline,” said Amarinder Singh. Casting doubts on Sidhu’s political future, Amarinder said: “The BJP would not take him back and as far as the SAD is concerned, they are also peeved at him.”

    Lauding Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who offered to resign after the verdict, the chief minister said there was no chance of Sidhu replacing Jakhar.  “Sidhu joined Congress only four years ago, and as such there are many who have started their career with the Youth Congress and are much senior to him. Hence, how can he be made the deputy chief minister of the PPCC president,” he pointed out, adding that Jakhar and Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s resignations had been rejected.

    Assuring that Kotkapura probe would be brought to its logical conclusion, Amarinder said a new SIT would take over the investigation.  However, he said that the April 9 verdict was more political than a judicial judgment. He also sought to clarify that the Kotkapura verdict had no bearing on the Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases as both were separate.

    Meanwhile, responding to Amarinder, Sidhu tweeted, “Efforts to derail Punjab’s conscience will fail … My Soul is Punjab and Punjab’s Soul is Guru Granth Sahib Ji … Our fight is for Justice & punishing the guilty, an assembly seat is not even worth discussion in the same breathe !!”

    In 2015, police had opened fire at agitators protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, prompting the government to institute an SIT probe, which was quashed by the High Court on April 9.The verdict had given former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal a clean chit while issuing strictures against the SIT probe head Kunwar Vijay Pratap.

  • Punjab CM sanctions Rs 130 crore for flood protection works

    By ANI
    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 130 crore for the execution of various flood protection works across the state and directed the irrigation and revenue departments to ensure their completion before the onset of the monsoon season.

    Chairing a meeting of the State Flood Control Board through video conferencing, the Punjab Chief Minister ordered to place Rs 10 crore at the disposal of the Deputy Commissioners of flood-prone districts to deal with any emergent situation arising due to heavy rains or floods.

    The Chief Minister directed the District Commissioners (DC) of the flood-prone districts to prioritize their tasks and submit the list of projects requiring immediate attention to the finance department for sanctioning of the funds.

    He also directed the DCs to undertake desilting and cleaning of drains in consultation with the Water Resources Department. He said all such works should be taken up immediately and it should be ensured that they are completed before the onset of the monsoon seasons.

    The Chief Minister also asked the officers to ensure timely and proper cleaning of city drains to prevent waterlogging in urban areas.

    Reviewing the status of reservoirs and dams in the state, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the existing low levels of water, which, he said, was the lowest in the past 40 years.

    Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan underscored the need to carry out the necessary works with a holistic approach and also explore the possibility of executing works under MGNREGA and other Government Schemes.

    The meeting was informed by Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Viswajeet Khanna that Rs 130 crore had been earmarked in the Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to meet any exigency arising out of floods, thereby providing relief to the affected people as compensation in lieu of damage caused to the standing crops, houses, cattle, besides the loss to life and property.