Farmers Movement Archive

Capt confident Sidhu will join back in his cabinet

A day after his meeting with party MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu over tea, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday expressed confidence that the former minister will be back in his cabinet. The two Congress leaders had met at the CM’s farmhouse near Chandigarh and discussed the cricketer-turned-politician’s likely re-induction into the state cabinet. “Everyone wants Navjot to be part of the team. We had a cordial meeting. He has sought some time. I am sure he will be part of our team,” Amarinder said in response to a question at a press conference here to mark the completion of four years of his government. The meeting between the CM and Sidhu, who had quit the state cabinet in July 2019, was a result of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat amid the central leadership’s efforts to rehabilitate the former minister by giving him an important role as the deputy chief minister or the state unit head ahead of the state polls. Asked if Sidhu wanted to be deputy chief minister or the state Congress president, Amarinder said it was up to the Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) to decide these things. “It is neither my, nor Sunil Ji’s (Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar) decision. It is for the Congress president to decide,” he said, adding in a lighter vein, “If he (Sidhu) wants my job, he can have it”. The Wednesday’s meeting was the second between the two leaders who had met over lunch on November 25, 2020, after a gap of one-and-a-half years, signing a thaw in their ties. Sidhu, who had quit the government after the CM divested him of the local government portfolio, on Thursday tweeted: “Tinke se halki rui, rui se halka mangne wala aadmi.... na apne liye maanga tha, na maanga hai, na maanguga..(Have not asked for anything)” . Asked if we would be extending a similar “olive branch” to other leaders such as (Rajya Sabha MPs) Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Dullo, the CM said that while everyone had their own ambitions, it was up to the Congress president to decide. “In a difficult hour, you have to set aside your own ambitions and stand with the party,” he added. To a question on him leading the Congress and being its CM-face in the 2022 polls, the two-time CM said the decision would be taken by the AICC chief. When asked about political strategist Prashant Kishor’s appointment, he said that in a democracy, every leader and party has a team of strategists. The CM said that Kishor was in Chandigarh and had already started his work. The poll strategist, who was appointed as the chief minister’s principal adviser with cabinet rank on March 1, held meetings with officials to take stock of the progress made on the 2017 poll promises and give a push to implementation of those that are still unfulfilled in next six months, according to sources. Capt rejects EVMs; for returning to paper ballots The CM also opposed the continued use of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections, seeking return to ballot papers. “In this electronic age, advanced countries like Japan, Sweden and UK have ballot papers. Everyone has ballot papers. They know these things can be fudged. We should go back to paper ballots,” he said in response to a question on the demand made by several legislators in the recently concluded budget session of the Punjab assembly for use of ballot papers in elections. Amarinder said he was among the first one to voice his opposition when Manohar Singh Gill was in the Election Commissioner several years ago. Capt not for job quota for locals Amarinder opposed the policy of job reservation for locals being followed by some states. The CM said he was not in favour of the policy of excessive regionalisation being followed by certain states, announcing that “Amarinder stands for INDIA FOR INDIANS’. “I believe that India is one country and too much regionalisation is not a good thing,” he said in response to a question on the Congress’ promise on compulsory recruitment of locals by private industry. In its 2017 manifesto, the Congress had promised “compulsory recruitment of local youth by industrial investors in Punjab up to 50% of the total workforce”. Recently, neighbouring Haryana has reserved 75% of jobs for locals in the private sector. Pointing out that there was no state in India where Punjabis were not flourishing and doing a great job, the CM questioned why Punjabis cannot buy land in Himachal Pradesh or do not have certain rights in Kashmir and Rajasthan. “If we start regionalising, we will suffer,” he warned. ‘Will move SC if assent not given to Punjab amendments’ Urging the Centre to scrap the farm laws, Amarinder said his government “will go to the Supreme Court if the President does not given assent to the state amendment Bills”. He said the governor was still sitting on the amendment bills instead of forwarding them for presidential approval, even though they were passed by the Vidhan Sabha unanimously. The CM said he could not see any middle path to break the stalemate between the farmers and the Centre. ‘Won’t interfere in sacrilege cases’ The CM said the SIT probing the sacrilege cases would soon complete its investigation and he will not interfere if they decide to challan any senior police officers or politicians. “The cases will be investigated to their logical conclusion and the guilty will be punished, irrespective of who they are,” he added. Listing out some of the key achievements of his government, he said the government had successfully broken the backbone of the drugs chain, which is what he had pledged to do with ‘Gutka Sahib’ in his hands. Contrary to what was being wrongly claimed in the media, he clarified that he had never said he will eliminate the drugs mafia completely. “I had clearly said – main nasheyan di lak todanga (will break the backbone of drug mafia),” he pointed out.

Hindustan Times

19-03-2021

Chandigarh