Keep word, act against Badals: MLAs to Capt

CHANDIGARH: A dinner hosted by Capt Amarinder for his Cabinet colleagues and party MLAs here this evening saw the party leaders comparing between their unfulfilled promise of acting against Badals in sacrilege cases or their flourishing transport business and the BJP using its brute majority to fulfil its election promise to revoke Article 370 in Kashmir.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh arrives at the state Assembly in Chandigarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

A dinner hosted by Capt Amarinder for his Cabinet colleagues and party MLAs here this evening saw the party leaders comparing between their unfulfilled promise of acting against Badals in sacrilege cases or their flourishing transport business and the BJP using its brute majority to fulfil its election promise to revoke Article 370 in Kashmir.

Though the CM and other party leaders have termed it violation of the constitutional norms, senior ministers and MLAs reportedly said if the BJP with its brute majority can take a major decision, what was stopping the Congress with two-third majority in Punjab to fulfil its poll promises that were legally tenable.

The BJP action in Kashmir has set the alarm bells ringing as leaders are stating that the Centre has set a precedent to reorganise any state by imposing President’s rule. A senior Hindu minister said in the meeting that the BJP’s action could wean away the Hindu community in Punjab that had been a major vote bank for the Congress.

Three senior-most ministers spoke on the need to change perception of the Congress if it wanted to come to power in the 2022 Assembly elections.

The major highlights of the dinner meet remained contradictory stand on the CBI closure report and flourishing transport business of Badals. On the functioning of the Transport Department, its minister Razia Sultana had to face tough questions from certain MLAs who spoke on bus timetables still being made to suit transport lobby. Advocate General Atul Nanda had to intervene in the matter. Later, more MLAs chipped in as the Transport Minister and Jalandhar MLA Junior Avtar Henry had heated arguments.

Manpreet Badal said the Badals, despite being out of power, still enjoying the same powers even as the Congress was in power.