Amarinder fields queries with practised ease

Minna Zutshi

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 7

Even as former Chief Minister and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh was on a ‘promising’ spree during ‘Halke Vich Captain’ programme organised at Atam Nagar Assembly constituency in Ludhiana today, some Congress workers publicly raised contentious issues like party leaders ignoring the workers and not lending a sympathetic ear to their grievances.

The PPCC chief, addressing most of the ‘complainants’ as “beta”, started the programme with: “I am here to listen to your grievances. When we (the Congress) come to power, I will keep in mind whatever you tell me now.”

Right from mobile tower installation to problems being faced by industry, bad roads and tardy development and paltry pensions, Capt Amarinder fielded the questions with practised ease. He promised “prompt dispensation of justice when the Congress comes to power”.

His speech at both the programmes in the city today – “HalKe Vich Captain” and the workers’ meet – was a mix of rhetoric and some hard facts peppered with politically-expedient interpretations.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) figured prominently in Capt Amarinder’s talk. Replying to a question on AAP state chief Sucha Singh Chhotepur suggesting that the issue of “hurting religious sentiments” by his party must be closed, the PPCC chief asked: “Was he (Chhotepur) or Bhagwant Mann not aware of it or were they not kept in the loop?” He added they (Chhotepur and Mann) were either insensitive or ignorant, and in both cases, they do not deserve to lead Punjab.

Though the first edition of “Halqe vich Captain” organised in a Ludhiana urban constituency (Atam Nagar) today had some political observers say that it was orchestrated to create the right effect.

The human side of it was palpable when a representative from an NGO, Darpan, pleaded with Capt Amarinder to provide the NGO with an accommodation for children with special needs.

A distraught mother of two girls, who were crushed to death by Jujhar Bus Service in Jagraon recently, also vented her woes. She alleged total apathy on part of the government and the district administration. She said she had lost her two daughters in a road accident that could have been averted. “To add insult to injury, there were false reports of a compromise and some monetary compensation,” she said. “I want justice for my daughters.”