Won’t take call on Congress-AAP pact without consulting Punjab leaders: Devendra Yadav

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, January 8

Amid the in-house friction between senior leaders of the Congress, Devendra Yadav, the newly appointed in-charge of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) affairs today began his state tour by paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir and the Ram Tirath Sthal.

PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who accompanied Yadav, avoided an eye-to-eye contact on the occasion.

Yadav refrained from commenting on the deliberations over the alliance with AAP under the INDIA bloc, saying that he would hold preliminary meetings with state party leaders in this regard.

When asked about differences within state leaders over the issue, he said: “I will not say anything on the alliance or seat sharing at this stage. We have meetings scheduled with the block in-charges and the senior party leadership to know their viewpoint before we zero in on any conclusion. The Congress party was, is strong and will remain strong in the future.”

Yadav is scheduled to hold a meeting with party leaders in Chandigarh. He is expected to face opposition by them over alliance with AAP before Lok Sabha polls. Resolving the rift between Sidhu and other leaders over rallies being organised by the former will be his another challenge.

Meanwhile, Sidhu today said a leader should be trusted, adding that he did not care what anyone said against him.

“Anyone is welcome to have objections. Undeterred, I will continue to fight for Punjab’s welfare, unmindful of any loss of mine. The motive is to spread the ideology of Congress. Rahul Gandhi says unity should not be broken and if anyone does so, then ‘savari apne saman di aap jimmedar hai’,” he said.

The former minister said he was the representative of 3 crore Punjabis. “In Punjab, there was no ‘lok raj’ set up as yet. People should choose their leader on the basis of trust and honesty under a democratic set-up,” he added.

On an alliance with AAP, he said: “When the high command takes a move in national interest to save democracy, why should there be a hitch in accepting that? I have submitted my point of view behind closed doors.”

Warring denied that there was any brawl within the state leadership. He said he had no objection to anyone holding a rally anywhere but “everyone will have to maintain decorum”.

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