AAP ministers giving Kapurthala a miss on national events

No AAP leader has been deputed to unfurl the Tricolour during Republic Day or Independence Day functions in Kapurthala district.

While AAP leaders preside over national events in other districts, it has been the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in Kapurthala who have carried out the duties at the district level.

The absence of an AAP MLA in any of the four Assembly segments in Kapurthala is seen as a contributing factor. The Congress holds a strong presence in the district with prominent leaders like Rana Gurjeet Singh in Kapurthala, Sukhpal Khaira in Bholath and Balwinder Dhaliwal in Phagwara. Rana Gurjeet’s son Rana Inder Partap is an Independent MLA in Sultanpur Lodhi.

A senior district official said the AAP leadership’s lack of interest in attending functions in Kapurthala may stem from this political landscape.

In the first Independence Day function after AAP assumed power in 2022, then DC Vishesh Sarangal hoisted the flag. He also performed the same duty during Republic Day 2023. Later, Capt Karnail Singh, who took over as DC, presided over the functions for I-Day 2023 and R-Day 2024. This year, DC Amit Panchal hoisted the national flag during the Independence Day ceremony and will again oversee the Republic Day ceremony this Sunday.

Congress MLAs pointed out that under their tenure, ministers from their party would preside over these functions.

For instance, in January 2022, Pargat Singh, a Congress minister, unfurled the Tricolour, and prior to that, then Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni had performed the duty during Republic Day.

AAP leader Joginder S Mann commented that Kapurthala is a smaller district with fewer ministers, and with more districts to cover, it is likely that the district gets overlooked during such events.

In AAP’s tenure, IAS officers have been tasked with hoisting the flags during the national celebrations. On August 15, 2022, Vishesh Sarangal, the then Deputy Commissioner, performed the duty, followed by him again on January 26, 2023. Later, Capt Karnail Singh, who took over as DC, presided over the Independence Day function on August 15, 2023, and the Republic Day function on January 26, 2024.