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Tag: Punjab crisis

  • Punjab crisis: Shiv Sena slams Centre for discussing issues with ‘dismissed’ CM Amarinder Singh

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Days after former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh held a meeting with Union Minister Amit Shah in the national capital, Shiv Sena on Saturday slammed the Centre for discussing the problems of a state with the “dismissed” Chief Minister. It further said that the Home Minister has no right to discuss border security with a former Chief Minister.

    The Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna said that if the matter of border security was that important then it should have been discussed with the present-day Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi instead of Captain Amarinder Singh.

    “Has anyone started infiltrating the border like Kashmir and Ladakh? If this issue is really important then the Home Minister should discuss it with the present Chief Minister of Punjab. What is this method of discussing the problems of the state with the dismissed Chief Minister? The central government is starting this new tradition, which is not fair,” said Saamna.

    The Shiv Sena mouthpiece slammed Captain Amarinder Singh for “waking up” on the border security issue only after tendering his resignation from the post of Chief Minister of Punjab. “Pakistan is infiltrating every day, but after leaving the post of Chief Minister, Amarinder woke up about border security,” said Saamna.

    The Shiv Sena mouthpiece further alleged that although Captain Amarinder Singh has said that he is not joining the BJP, but by Staying out of Congress he intends to harm the party. “Amarinder Singh had clarified that he will not go to the BJP, but after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it seems he will harm the Congress by staying out,” it added.

    The Shiv Sena mouthpiece’s reaction came after Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on September 29 said that he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the ongoing farmers’ agitation and urged him to resolve the crisis by immediately repealing the three farm laws.

    The meeting came amid fresh turmoil in Punjab Congress with the sudden resignation of state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and led to speculation that the Congress leader may be warming up to the BJP. Amarinder Singh had resigned as Chief Minister on September 18 and had told the media that the Congress leadership had let him down.

    The meeting took place amid efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make the contest in the forthcoming assembly polls in the statewide open. Amarinder Singh had said that he had urged Amit Shah to guarantee minimum support price to farmers and support Punjab in crop diversification.

  • Leaving Congress where I was sidelined and humiliated, but won’t join BJP: Amarinder Singh

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday said he would leave the Congress where he was utterly humiliated, but won’t join the BJP. Singh indicated that he might float his own political party ahead of the assembly election early next year.

    “I will not stay in the party,” Amarinder said, adding that he was still thinking through his options in the interest of Punjab, whose security was the predominant priority for him. “I can’t be treated in this humiliating manner. I will not take such insults,” he said. The former CM said his principles and beliefs do not allow him to stay in the Congress.

    When asked whether he will be floating a new political party after leaving the Congress, Singh said, “Whatever will happen, you will get to know.”

    ALSO READ | Discussed farmers’ protests with Shah, says Amarinder amid war of words between Congress, BJP

    Terming the senior Congressmen as “thinkers, who are critical to the future of the party”, Amarinder said the younger leadership should be promoted to implement the plans which the senior leaders formulate.

    Unfortunately, the seniors are being completely sidelined which is not good for the party, Amarinder said while condemning the attack on Kapil Sibal’s house by Congress workers after he had chosen to express views that were not palatable to the party leadership.

    Expressing hope that Punjab would vote for the future of the state, Amarinder said his experience showed that the people of Punjab tend to vote for a single party, irrespective of the number of parties in the fray.

    Singh also confirmed his meeting with NSA Ajit Doval saying he flagged the precarious security situation in Punjab where Pakistan was sending weapons on drones. Misgovernance in Punjab would give Pakistan the opportunity to create trouble in the state and in the country, he said.

    “Only a few drones and weapons have been intercepted. So who has got hold of them? I may not be the CM but the state is our own and we cannot let it suffer again. It has already suffered terrorism once,” said Singh.

    ALSO READ | Punjab crisis: Former CM Amarinder Singh meets NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi

    Taking a dig at those who undermine the growing Pakistani threat in Punjab, Amarinder said that such people were playing into the hands of anti-India forces by being in denial mode. “They (Pak-backed elements) are killing our soldiers every day, they are pushing weapons into the state through drones. How can we overlook these dangers,” he added.

    Reiterating his opinion of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Amarinder described him as a ‘mere crowd puller’ who does not know how to carry his team along. He said he had personally worked with many PPCC chiefs, besides himself being one, and always resolved issues amicably, without indulging in theatrics like that of Sidhu.

    The former CM said he had on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him for early resolution of the farmers’ agitation by giving Rs 25,000 crore to Punjab for crop diversification and MSP for crops.

    The Congress high command is making efforts to make bridges with Amarinder in order to stop him from leaving the party. It is learnt that senior party leaders Ambika Soni and Kamal Nath were deputed to talk to former CM as both these leaders are considered close to Amarinder.

  • Punjab Congress crisis: Navjot Singh Sidhu to meet CM Charanjit Singh Channi for talks

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu said that he will be meeting Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for talks on Thursday. The move comes a day after Channi reached out to Sidhu and offered to resolve issues through talks.

    “Chief Minister has invited me for talks – will reciprocate by reaching Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh at 3:00 PM today, he is welcome for any discussions!” Sidhu, who had on Tuesday resigned as the state Congress chief, said on Wednesday had raised questions over the appointments of director general of police, state’s advocate general and “tainted” leaders.

    ALSO READ| Punjab crisis: Former CM Amarinder Singh meets NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi

    The Punjab unit of the Congress is in turmoil after Amarinder Singh was removed as chief minister and its chief Sidhu resigned from his post ahead of the crucial assembly elections in the state early next year. Factionalism in Punjab Congress has come to the fore over recent appointments of the new cabinet and other top officials.

    Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Channi had said, “I have spoken to Sidhu sahab over telephone today. The party is supreme and the government accepts the party’s ideology and follows that. (I told him that) You come, sit and talk. If you (Sidhu) feel there is anything wrong, you can point it out.”

    When asked what was Sidhu’s response, Channi had said the leader told him that he would sit and talk, and would give him time for a meeting. Channi said his government will set up a team under a special prosecutor for fighting cases in courts.

    “We are setting up a team of a special prosecutor and 10 members, and it will handle our (state government) important cases. A special team will be appointed. Therefore, there should not be any doubt on me. Everything will be transparent,” he said.

    “Whatever feedback we got from colleagues and others and whosoever could be appointed, we appointed. But the decisions will be taken according to the people of Punjab. I have no objection or any ego in anything. I am very clear. If anything sends wrong message to people, I will not be rigid on it,” he said in an apparent reference to recent appointments.

    The CM had said that he would never step back on issues for which he had been fighting, apparently referring to delivery of justice in the 2015 desecration cases.

  • Punjab crisis: Former CM Amarinder Singh meets NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at his residence on Thursday. Singh had on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the ongoing farmers’ agitation and urged him to resolve the crisis by immediately repealing the three farm laws.

    The meeting came amid fresh turmoil in Punjab Congress with the sudden resignation of state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and led to speculation that the Congress leader may be warming up to the BJP.

    Amarinder Singh had resigned as Chief Minister on September 18 and had told the media that the Congress leadership had let him down. He had also taken a dig at Sidhu over his resignation, saying he is not a stable man.

    The meeting took place amid efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to ensure a contest in the forthcoming assembly polls in Punjab.

    The BJP faces a formidable political challenge in the state from ruling Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and SAD-BSP combine. Shiromani Akali Dal was a trusted partner of BJP in Punjab but parted ways over its stance on the farm laws.

    If Amarinder Singh joins the BJP, the political equations in the state will change and will give the party an advantage in assembly polls. From being seen as a “non-contender” in the power equations, the BJP is looking to emerge as a formidable contestant in Punjab assembly polls.

  • Stability in Punjab essential for national security: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Asserting that stability in Punjab is essential for national security, the BJP on Wednesday hit out at the Congress over the political volatility in the border state and called it a “collosal failure” of Rahul Gandhi.

    BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra expressed concern over the situation in Punjab and said the Congress, which is in power there, has become synonymous with “instability”. With Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s resignation plunging the state into a fresh political crisis, Patra said the state has been plagued by a clash of ambitions.

    He noted that senior Congress leaders like Manish Tewari have also expressed their concern over the situation in the state as Punjab’s stability is important for national security. Taking a swipe at the Congress leadership, he said the Gandhi family had gone to Shimla on vacation after replacing Amarinder Singh as chief minister.

    “The entire episode has brought to fore the collosal failure of Rahul Gandhi,” the BJP spokesperson said and accused the Congress of targeting journalists to divert the attention from the Punjab crisis.

    Though he did not name any journalist but his comments appeared to be aimed at the strong reactions from some Congress leaders to the use of a cuss word by an anchor which seemed to be aimed at Rahul Gandhi. The woman anchor had apologised later.

    A woman journalist is being attacked and threatened, he said and asked media bodies like the NBA and Editors Guild to take cognizance. In this context he also targeted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and alleged that the Congress’s “Emergency attitude” is on display.

    In a tweet, Baghel had said that Congress members will never tolerate indecent language against Gandhi. The BJP, Patra said, salutes the media as fourth pillar of democracy. With the Congress leaders like Amarinder Singh rejecting Gandhi’s leadership, the party is venting its frustration on the media, he claimed.

  • Amarinder Singh meets Amit Shah, fuels speculations of joining BJP

    By Online Desk

    NEW DELHI: Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence here on Wednesday, raising speculation over his future in politics. Singh arrived in the national capital on Tuesday, days after he quit as the chief minister of Punjab.

    The meeting assumes significance as Singh had not opened his cards but had claimed that he had not quit politics and would fight till the end. The veteran Congress leader had also launched a scathing attack on his bete noire, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was appointed as the party’s Punjab unit president.

    #WATCH | Former Punjab CM and Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh reaches the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi pic.twitter.com/787frIaou7
    — ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2021
    Sidhu quit as the Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday. As regards his political future, Singh had said there were several options before him.

    Singh’s team has called it a “courtesy visit”, leaving questions unanswered about his future plans.

    The proposed Singh-Shah-Nadda meeting has triggered intense speculations about the Punjab Congress leader joining the BJP in the days to come. According to some reports, Amarinder Singh may be inducted into PM Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers as Union Agriculture Minister.

    (With agency inputs)

  • Punjab government reduced to ‘tamasha’; remove tainted ministers: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Punjab government has been reduced to a “tamasha” and urged new CM Charanjit Singh Channi to immediately remove “tainted” ministers from his cabinet.

    The Delhi CM said this at the Chandigarh airport, a day after the Congress was pushed into a fresh crisis by the resignation of Navjot Singh Sidhu from the post of the party’s Punjab unit chief.

    Sidhu on Wednesday in a video message flagged the issue of appointment of “tainted” officials and ministers. Kejriwal, who is the Delhi CM, also asked the Punjab CM to act on promises made by his predecessor, including the action in the Bargari desecration case.

    During the previous SAD-BJP regime, torn pages of a religious text were found at Bargari in Faridkot. Later, in police firing incidents at protesters, two people were killed at Behbal Kalan and many injured in Kotkapura.

    “We are seeing what kind of political atmosphere is prevailing in the state. Political instability is there, which is unfortunate. A dirty fight for power is going on.People are not able to understand whom they should approach for their problems. They have reduced the government to a ‘tamasha’,” said Kejriwal, who arrived on a two-day visit to Punjab.

    ALSO READ| Punjab Congress crisis: CM Charanjit Singh Channi asks ‘head of family’ Sidhu to resolve issues

    He said that accusations have been made that Channi has inducted “tainted” people in his Cabinet. “I request that they should be removed forthwith, cases be registered against them and they be dealt with strictly,” he said.

    While he congratulated Channi on his elevation as the Punjab CM, Kejriwal said people of the state want him to act on five issues, including the Bargari desecration case. “The mastermind in the sacrilege incidents have not been punished till now. I don’t need to tell who the mastermind are. Their names are there in the report of Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and Channi can go through that. The culprits can be arrested within 24 hours,” he said.

    Kejriwal said the promises made by former CM Amarinder Singh to people should be fulfilled by the Channi-led government. “Amarinder had promised to give jobs to the youth and till the time they got one, he had promised to give unemployment allowance. That allowance should be given. He had promised loan waiver to farmers,” he said.

    Kejriwal also said the Congress government should scrap the power purchase agreements. Kejriwal reminded Channi that despite being in power for 49 days in the first term, his government did many works and the Punjab CM still has four months left before the state goes to polls.

    “I had 49 days when I first came in power. During that short period, I had halved power rates, made water free and eliminated corruption. If I could do so many works in 49 day period, then Channi too can fulfil pending works,” he said.

    The AAP leader said only his party can give a stable and honest government in Punjab. When asked who will be the CM face of AAP, Kejriwal said, “I have repeatedly said we will give such a face on which you and the entire Punjab will be proud of.”

    Earlier in the day, Navjot Singh Sidhu questioned the appointment of the director general of police, advocate general and “tainted” leaders. “Today, I see there is a compromise on issues,” said Sidhu apparently referring to senior IPS officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota who has been given the additional charge of the Punjab DGP.

    Sahota was the head of an SIT formed by the SAD-BJP government to probe desecration incidents. “I see those who had given clean chits to the Badals six years ago…have been given the responsibility of delivering justice,” he added.

    “My soul jitters when I see those who secured blanket bails, they are advocate general. What is the agenda here,” Sidhu asked apparently questioning the appointment of APS Deol to the post.

    ALSO READ| Punjab Congress crisis: Party’s state unit working president Pawan Goel meets Navjot Singh Sidhu

    A system which included “tainted” leaders and officials is being brought back after being dismantled, Sidhu said obliquely referring to the induction of Rana Gurjit Singh as a minister in the new state Cabinet.

    Sidhu was appointed the state Congress president on July 18 amid a bitter power tussle with Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the CM 10 days back while accusing the party high command of humiliating him.