Farmers Movement Archive

Hooch tragedy: Punjab ministers want Partap Singh Bajwa, Shamsher Singh Dullo expelled from Congress

CHANDIGARH: Two days after Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar sought strict action against party MPs Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, the “entire” state cabinet on Thursday pitched for the duo’s immediate expulsion for their “anti-party and anti-government” activities. Seeking the dismissal of Bajwa and Dullo for attacking their own party’s government in the state over the hooch tragedy, the cabinet ministers in a joint statement said the actions of the two Rajya Sabha members “call for immediate and strict action” against them by the party high command. The ministers, in the statement, called for the whip to be immediately cracked on the two MPs. Indiscipline could not be tolerated at any time, least of all when the assembly elections in the state are less than two years away, they said, pointing to the MPs’ repeated attacks on the government and chief minister Amarinder Singh. Questioning their decision to raise concerns on the hooch tragedy, the ministers said in their Rajya Sabha term, the two MPs had never bothered to raise any issue of interest of the state they represent. “Why did they not press for the completion of the ED probe into the drugs issue during the Akali regime? Why did they not protest in the House against the anti-farm ordinances of the Union government? Why did they never speak about the CBI’s failure to probe the sacrilege cases?” the ministers said. They said by bypassing all party and government forums to protest against the government’s handling of the hooch tragedy and to approach the governor for CBI and ED inquiries into the case, the two MPs have not only attacked the very basis of democratic governance, but also sought to undermine the Punjab Police. They pointed out that a CBI probe is needed only if the police fail to deliver, which is definitely not the case at present. “Instead of doing their job as MPs, both Bajwa and Dullo seem intent on destabilising their own government, either out of their own greed for power or at the bidding of those who want to destabilise Congress in Punjab.” the ministers said, adding that in either case, the duo has rendered themselves useless and of no value to the party, and needs to be shunted out without any delay.

The Times of India

2020-08-07

Chandigarh