Not invited, ex-MLA ‘forces’ Agri Dept to shift camp site

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, April 6

A political “standoff” between two local Congress leaders played spoilsport, forcing the district Agriculture Department to change the venue for a farmers’ training camp at the last minute.

The district Agriculture Department had scheduled the camp at the grain market in Kotkapura for today. As per the invitation card, many senior officers of the department were to participate in the camp. Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon alias Kiki, Congress MLA from Faridkot, was the chief guest.

The invitation card did not mention the name of former Congress MLA Harnirpal Singh Kuku. He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Kotkapura on the Congress candidate this time.

The political relations between Kuku and Kiki are not cordial. Kuku believes that Kiki did not help him wholeheartedly during the campaigning in Kotkapura, where he was fighting off the tag of being an “outsider”. Kuku belongs to Muktsar.

Sources said that on Wednesday evening, Kuku was annoyed on learning about the camp scheduled “in his segment”. He demanded that the department shifted the venue outside the limits of his constituency.

As it was too late and the department had already pitched a tent in the Kotkapura grain market, District Agriculture Officer (DAO) Baljinder Singh Sidhu rushed to Kuku’s house in Muktsar on Wednesday evening. The officer tried to prevail upon Kuku, but the Congress leader remained adamant on changing the venue.

So, the venue was changed to the department’s office in Faridkot, keeping officers busy making arrangements at the new venue and informing farmers about it.

This sudden change of the venue resulted in thin participation of farmers.

Kuku said he did not force the department to shift the venue. “I have nothing to do with it. It would have been the department’s decision for reasons best known to them,” he said.

Kiki said he did not know about the camp and the change of venue, as he was out of the state for a few days. He did not participate in the camp.

The DAO refused to speak on the matter. All he said was the camp was organised successfully in Faridkot.