Aujla-Malik’s credit war over rly platforms

PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, February 21

The credit war between Congress Lok Sabha MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Malik, also state president of the party, has come out in the open. This time, the bone of contention was the inauguration of two platforms (6 and 7) at the city railway station.

Though Gurjeet Aujla inaugurated the platforms on Thursday, Malik had done the same on Wednesday evening after he reportedly got to know that Aujla was about to inaugurate it.

Even as there was no programme issued by the BJP Rajya Sabha member for the inauguration of the platforms, suddenly a press statement, along with pictures, was issued in the evening.

The credit war for the development of Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport is also going on between the two.

While inaugurating the two platforms, Malik said there was a dire need of more platforms with the increase in the frequency of trains. He said the Congress governments at the Centre had ignored the Amritsar railway station for long. The passengers had to wait outside the railway station for long for the availability of empty platforms. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government had generously released funds for the development of the city railway station. It planned the construction of five new platforms. Out of this, construction of two platforms were completed.

Launching a scathing attack on MP Gurjeet Aujla, Malik said it was Aujla’s instinct to keep himself in the limelight as he was neither invited officially for the inauguration nor received by even a single railway official. “I question him about his contribution to the city railway station barring inspection of train toilets a long ago. He never bothered to visit the railway station even once. Moreover, I am the elected member of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) and inaugurated the platforms a day before. What was the need of creating a mockery by going there and inaugurated the same platforms again?” questioned Malik.

On the other hand, Aujla said only the elected members of the Parliament had the right to inaugurate. He said the elected members were made members of different committees. “Malik is like my elder brother. He should contest the upcoming Parliamentary polls to get elected,” he said.

While inaugurating the platforms, he said he would take the issue of expansion of Manawala railway station so that goods train take a halt outside the city for the convenience of passengers at the city railway station. Chheharta railway station would also be developed, he added.