Resentment brews in Cong, two more MLAs quit posts

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 21

A day after Sangat Singh Gilzian, Urmur MLA, resigned from Punjab Congress posts to protest non-inclusion in the Cabinet, two more MLAs followed suit on Saturday. Surjit Dhiman and Nathu Ram, Amargarh and Balluana MLAs, respectively, resigned from party positions.

The leaders, though announced to continue as MLAs, warned the Congress of "serious consequences" for ignoring the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.

Alleging the failure of the party in breaking the drug supply chain in the state, Dhiman said "bad elements" were influencing the working of the government and officers from top to bottom were involved.

"Nearly 42 per cent state's population belongs to the SC/BC category. They are disappointed over not given adequate representation in the Cabinet. I belong to the Ramgarhia community, which consists of 12 per cent of the total BCs. If not me, the party could have chosen other MLAs. But now we feel that the Congress doesn't need our support," said the three-time MLA.

While Dhiman resigned from the post of PPCC vice-president and a delegate, Nathu Ram quit the post of general secretary and from three different committees.

Both have sent their resignations to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh through email and apologised from their communities for "failing to get the desired respect from the Congress government".

Nathu Ram said: "Given the size of state's SC population, there should be five ministers from our community. We cannot accept this decision. Even the seniority has been ignored.”