M A I N   N E W S

AICC panel meets Punjab dissidents
Anita Katyal and R. Suryamurthy
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 12
Hectic efforts were being made by the Congress Central leadership till late tonight to defuse the dissidence crisis in the Punjab Congress. With the dissident group persisting with its demand for the removal of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the AICC panel held several meetings throughout the day to mollify them.

Congress Central leaders indicated that they did not favour a leadership change at this stage as it would appear that they were acting at gunpoint. It would also set a bad precedent in other states, they felt. At the same time, the party did not want to take any hasty step which could alienate the dissidents and weaken the Punjab Congress months before the Lok Sabha elections.

In its effort to hammer out a solution, AICC panel members held separate meetings with the dissident leaders throughout the day. They were trying to buy time by persuading the dissidents that the Chief Minister would be put on notice and told to improve his style of functioning by becoming more accessible to his colleagues and party workers.

The day began with Punjab Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, leading a delegation of dissident legislators, to the residence of Ms Mohsina Kidwai, party General Secretary in charge of Punjab. This was followed by separate meetings with the other two AICC panel members, Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Ahmed Patel.

The dissidents reiterated their grievances against the Chief Minister and insisted that he should be removed. Ms Kidwai, on her part, ticked off the dissidents for airing their grievances in the press.

Sources said Ms Kidwai acknowledged that the dissidents did have genuine grievances, but felt these could be redressed without resorting to any drastic step.

Consequently, the dissident group appeared more restrained today. Emerging from the meeting, Ms Bhattal reposed full faith in Ms Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, stating that they would all abide by her decision.”We are all loyal soldiers of the party. We are optimistic that the Congress president will not take any decision which will harm the party,” she said.

She, however, stated that all hurdles which could mar the party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha elections should be removed.

The dissidents claimed that Capt Amarinder Singh was also making efforts to woo them by offering them ministerial berths. According to them, six legislators — Razia Sultan, Raj Khurana, Dr Harbans Lal, Amrik Singh Dhillon, Sadhu Singh and Malkit Singh Dakha — had been approached, but they had turned down the offer.

Continuing with her tirade against the Chief Minister, Ms Bhattal alleged that her life was under threat and that the state intelligence was being used to spy on them.

“One intelligence personnel, who had intruded into my room last night, was caught and he admitted that there were 15 others outside. Such acts pose a threat to my life and my family. I blame Capt Amarinder Singh for this as he is the Chief Minister of the state,” she said, adding that she would write to him in this connection.

As for SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal’s claim that the Congress had been reduced to a minority after the Chief Minister claimed the support of 40 legislators, Ms Bhattal said, “One mistake by Capt Amarinder Singh has provided an opportunity to the Akalis to make such claims. We continue to be against the Akalis.”