Punjab CM given deadline to act on Bargari sacrilege, drug issues

The Congress has asked Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to act on sacrilege and police firing cases, drugs, power purchase agreements and public welfare measures within a deadline.

All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat said the chief minister has been given a time-frame by the three-member central committee to implement 18 poll promises.

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“Bargari is an emotional issue in Punjab. We respect the emotions of people. The CM has been told to take action in accordance with the public sentiment within the legal parameters. On drugs, strong action has been taken. Action in pending cases will be taken soon,” Rawat told the media after his meeting with former Congress president and Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday.

Rahul meets Jakhar, Bajwa and Manpreet

Earlier, Rahul met Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa and finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

Rawat also listed free power up to 200 units, Scheduled Caste scholarships, loan write-off of poor people, land rights of poor and further action against sand and transport mafias among the 18 points on which Capt Amarinder has been asked to take action. “The chief minister has agreed to act. He will hold a press conference soon and give details on all these issues,” said the former Uttarakhand chief minister. Several of these issues were raised by Sidhu and dissenting ministers and MLAs who have been critical of the chief minister in recent weeks.

The committee, comprising Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, former Delhi MP Jai Prakash Agarwal and Rawat, had discussed all these issues with Amarinder on Tuesday. The meeting was their second in less than three weeks.

Rawat goes soft on Sidhu

Asked about former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s statements targeting the chief minister, Rawat said that the committee had taken notice of issues raised by him. “As for his statements, the committee and the leadership were aware. I have called for his statements. I will give him advice wherever needed. In case there is need for a direction, I will do the needful,” he said, going soft on the former minister. Some party leaders, including two MPs, had drawn the attention of Rahul and Kharge to Sidhu’s statements on Tuesday. He said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi will take the decision by the first week of July and all, including Sidhu, have agreed to abide by it.

On the controversy over the government appointments given to two Congress MLAs Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and Rakesh Pandey’s sons on compassionate grounds, Rawat said he had been told that they had agreed to thank the government and not to take these jobs. “Bajwa has agreed. I am to check with Pandey,” he added.