Dehradun/Chandigarh: Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Rawat on Friday said Amarinder Singh’s “proximity” with BJP leaders like Amit Shah puts a question mark on his secular credentials and warned the Centre not to attempt toppling a majority government in the state.
Alleging that the former Punjab chief minister was playing into the hands of people with whom he had no ideological ties, Rawat said Singh should have stood with the Congress leadership to save democracy.
Singh, who resigned from the top post in the state last month, had met Shah in Delhi on Wednesday and had said that he discussed the prolonged farmers stir against three agri laws with the Union home minister.
“His proximity with Amit Shah and some other BJP leaders puts his secular credentials in doubt,” he said at a press conference here.
Rawat advised Singh not to walk into the BJP’s trap and and become its “mukhauta” (mask) in Punjab.
Rebutting Singh’s statement that he will leave the Congress as he has been “utterly humiliated”, Rawat said the party always gave him respect.
“The humiliation theory is being furthered under someone’s pressure,” he said, adding that Singh should not either directly or indirectly help the BJP which is “anti-Punjab and anti-farmers”.
“Amarinder Singh was Punjab Congress president thrice and chief minister twice. Is it humiliation? He should compare himself with senior party leaders who had got much less than him in terms of opportunities,” the former Uttarakhand chief minister said.
Singh on Thursday scotched speculation of his joining BJP but said he will quit the Congress, which he asserted was going downhill with senior leaders being ignored.
“At a time when the country faces the challenge of saving democracy, Amarinder Singh should have stood with (Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi and strengthened her fight to save democratic values instead of playing into the hands of people who are using his so-called humiliation for political reasons,” Rawat said.
Rawat also warned the BJP-led Centre not to attempt to topple a majority government in Punjab.
The Punjab Congress in-charge also said there is positive progress in the negotiations between Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has resigned as the party’s state unit chief.
Channi is from the Dalit community and every political party should support him, Rawat said, adding that the chief minister is taking several pro-people decisions.
“But I warn the BJP government at the Centre not to try to topple a majority government in Punjab,” he said.
Indicating that some Congress MLAs are unhappy with Singh on certain issues and referring to the choosing of a new legislature party leader, Rawat said, “What has been done (having a new leader in Channi) is in a way to protect his (Singh) honour and to improve prospects of the Congress in Punjab.”
He also said that the Punjab government on Wednesday waived power bills of those having electricity connection of up to two kW. In a day or two the Channi government will announce that power will be made free up to 300 units for citizens, he said.
Rawat’s remark comes after the Aam Aadmi Party promised 300 units of free electricity per month for each household in Punjab if it wins the 2022 assembly polls in the state.
With opposition targeting the Congress government over inaction in sacrilege cases, Rawat said in the next 15-20 days some forceful steps will be taken on sacrilege and drug menace issues.
On the tumult in the Punjab Congress unit, Rawat asserted that Channi was running the government with full command.
On Sidhu’s resignation, he said that people sometimes take some steps guided by emotions.
Sidhu on Wednesday had raised questions over the appointments of the DGP, the state’s advocate general and “tainted” leaders.
On some issues, we are aware about Sidhu’s sentiments, Rawat said, adding that the chief minister and Sidhu had held talks and all things will be resolved by the Punjab unit itself.
A coordination panel will be set up, which is expected to be consulted before any major decisions by the Punjab government in the future.
The decision to form the panel was reached after an over two-hour meeting here on Thursday between Channi and Sidhu.
Rawat said the entire country has welcomed the decision to make Channi chief minister.
After years it has happened that a person from a humble background and the one who belongs to the Dalit community was made chief minister, Rawat said.
Also read: Sidhu to remain Punjab Congress chief, coordination panel set up to resolve crisis after CM meet