Former Punjab MLAs spar over Congress election debacle

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 4

Differences cropped up between PCC working president and former Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra and former Bassi Pathana legislator Gurpreet Singh GP during a dharna organised by the former on the call of the AICC over rising fuel prices and inflation here today.

During his address in front of the DC office, Gurpreet alleged the Congress lost the elections as the high command took the wrong decision of declaring “corrupt” Charanjit Singh Channi as the Chief Minister. The recovery of Rs 10 crore from his nephew proved to be the “final nail in the coffin” for the party.

Nagra objected to his remarks and urged him not to discuss party matters on a public platform and stick to the issue of price rise. Gurpreet said if the reasons for the poll debacle were not discussed, the party “would go to the dogs” and the idea of holding such protests would be meaningless.

Meanwhile, Nagra in his address lashed out at the Centre for a continuous hike in fuel prices, saying it had upset the domestic budget of the common man. He called upon people to vote out the Modi government in the next parliamentary elections.

Warning police and civil officials against harassing party workers and sarpanches at the behest of AAP MLA, he said they would take to the streets if they continued to be targeted.

He said they would soon set up a cell at the PPCC head office in Chandigarh to redress the grievances of party workers, besides a legal cell to fight the “highhandedness” of the new dispensation. DCC president Subhash Sood, Planning Board chairman Harinder Singh Bhambhri, Sirhind MC chief Ashok Sood were present.