Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, with a bundle of issues including “attack” by party colleague Partap Singh Bajwa, state’s move on Citizenship Amendment Act, impending Cabinet rejig, among others, met the Congress national president Sonia Gandhi on Monday.
Accompanied by Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar and state party affairs’ in-charge Asha Kumari, Capt Amarinder discussed a slew of issues with the party chief during an hour-long meeting.
Even as the Chief Minister and other leaders chose to maintain a strategic silence over what transpired in the meeting, it has been learnt that the Chief Minister expressed his utter displeasure over the stance adopted by the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa, his known detractor.
Notably, a war of words had erupted between Capt Amarinder and Bajwa past week after the latter launched a series of scathing attacks on the Congress Government for its failure to fulfil its pre-poll promises while maintaining that he would not support the Patiala Royal for another term.
Bajwa, who had headed the state Congress unit and enjoys close proximity with Rahul Gandhi, has reportedly met Sonia Gandhi a few days back.
Sources informed The Pioneer that the issue of state leaders and legislators’ going public against the State Government also came up for discussion during the meeting.
Notably, several party MLAs and leaders has been airing their grievances in open against the state government’s functioning, besides criticizing the babudom. Apart from that, the leaders have all along been reminding the Government for its promises, made to the people ahead 2017 elections, to act against those guilty of sacrilege incidents, cancelling power purchase agreements (PPAs) with private thermal plants and reducing power tariff, checking mafia raj, mobile phones, eliminating drugs, among others.
They have been arguing that the people question them on these promises, and with what face they would go back to them to seek votes in another two years’ time.
In fact, a few days ago, Capt Amarinder’s loyalist Jakhar had lashed out at the state Advocate-General for allegedly not watching the state’s interests in legal matters, besides seeking a strong action in the case of PPAs to give relief to the consumers.
The Monday’s meeting also assumes significance as the Chief Minister had made clear its stand of approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
During the meeting, the Chief Minister shared his plans of approaching the Supreme Court over the CAA.
Only past week, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha has passed a resolution seeking repealing of the controversial CAA and amendments in the documentation required for the National Population Register (NPR).
“I have sworn on the Constitution and I will continue to fulfil my duty as a loyal soldier. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji had said, ‘Na koi Hindu, Na Mussalman’ (no one is a Hindu or Muslim) and, it is in this spirit, Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed the resolution to appeal to central government to repeal CAA for India’s interest,” Capt Amarinder had posted on Twitter after the Vidhan Sabha passed the resolution.
Capt Amarinder had also declared that Punjab will join Kerala in challenging the newly-amended law in the Apex Court. “Like Kerala, the Government will also approach the Supreme Court on the issue,” Capt Amarinder had stated while talking with the media after the conclusion of the two-day special assembly session.
He had stated said that the Centre would have to make the necessary amendments to CAA if it had to be implemented in Punjab and other states opposing the legislation.
During the meeting, the impending Cabinet reshuffle was also discussed. With just one cabinet berth lying pending after cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned in protest of change in his portfolio, there is possibility of change in portfolios of at least four Ministers. Besides, it has been learnt that two Ministers may lose their Cabinet berth.
