Chandigarh, October 13
Besides other senior Congress leaders, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who took charge as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee here today, raised her battle cry against the Badal government, especially Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.
In fact, almost all Congress leaders - Jagmeet Singh Brar, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Santokh Singh Randhawa, Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Margaret Alva,who spoke at the function organised at the Punjab Congress Bhavan to celebrate Bhattal’s taking over as president of the PPCC, made Badal as their prime target. But Bhattal’s attack on Badal was most fierce. There would be no full stop in the battle against Badal. I would even sacrifice myself in this battle,” she said.
“Badal is nothing before us, we would shake the foundations of his government,” said Bhattal. “We have fought for the freedom of the country and to fight against Badal is a small act to protect our rank and file from political vendentta,” she said. “Badal’s rule of terror and repression will not be allowed to last,” she added. Akali leaders had ruined Punjab. They were supporting those who were killing innocent people in the state. When Congress
and other leaders were being killed, top Akali leaders had taken their wards to foreign lands, she said.
She said “The Badal government is surviving on the oxygen provided in the form of financial support to it by the Manmohan Singh government. With its own treasury, Badal cannot run the government even for a day. Even after getting so much financial support from the UPA government, Badal does not utter a word of thanks to the Centre.”Having a dig at the Akali chief minister, Bhattal said: “Badal goes to meet UPA ministers in Delhi and praises them a lot on their face but on return to Chandigarh, he starts condemning them.”
The Badal government would have to withdraw the hike in power tariff. “If the BJP is sincere on power tariff issue, it should withdraw support to the SAD-led government,” she said.
Mohinder Singh Kaypee, working president of the PPCC, said Congress leaders, including his father, had made great sacrifices to restore peace in the state. The SAD government was out to disturb peace in the state. “Dalits and other weaker sections of society were being targeted by the SAD-BJP government,” he added. “We would not tolerate it,” he added.
Congratulating Bhattal on the occasion, Alva said she had seen a lot of enthusiasm and excitement among Congress workers. All groups should be united to fight against the Badal government and communal forces led by him, she said. Remembering the late Chief Minister Beant Singh, she said his legacy could not be forgotten.
Soon Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi would visit Punjab.
Ambika Soni, Union Minister, said Bhattal’s elevation to the presidentship of the state unit of the Congress, had been appreciated by all leaders of the Congress party in the state. Praneet Kaur, Congress MP and wife of former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, said Bhattal was a seasoned leader and the Congress workers had high hopes on her.
Jagmeet Singh Brar said the fight against the Badal government should be waged on all fronts. All Congress leaders, right from the small Congress worker to Capt Amarinder Singh, who were being targeted by the Badal government should be protected by the Congress leadership. He said though he was unable to become president of the PPCC but he fully supported Bhattal as president because she was a dedicated soldier of the party.
Rana Gurjeet Singh said the Congress should fight boldly against the Badal government. He said it was unfortunate that certain Congress leaders had surrendered to the Badal government without waging a battle against him. “Let Badal put us all in jail and register cases against us,” he added. Santokh Singh Randhawa, a former PPCC president, said the Badal government had uprooted 110 families from Fatehgarh Churian and Bhattal should visit that area to get those families rehabilitated.
After the function, Alva, Bhattal, Kaypee,Tejparkash Singh, Avtar Singh Brar, Jagmohan Kang, Parminder Singh, Harminder Jassi and Gurkirat Singh, almost all Congress MLAs, former ministers and MPs visited the “samadhi” of the late chief minister Beant Singh to pay him floral tribute.
