24 Feb : Senior Congress leaders from Ludhiana today ridiculed former MP Gurcharan Singh Galib for betraying the party for his petty and personal interests. In a joint statement senior party leaders recalled Galib’s past which is full of deceit and treachery. They pointed out, the way the Akali leaders revealed his character of always being in league with them even while remaining in Congress, only showed his opportunistic character devoid of any moral principles.
The Congress leaders also took a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal for its opportunism and importing candidates from the Congress. They said, the SAD was so much demoralised that it was finding it difficult to find a candidate and was now poaching into other parties for the same. “The party was in such a disarray that the sitting MPs like Sharanjit Singh Dhillon were running away from the contest”, they pointed out.
They said, Galib had never worked for the party or the constituency. They revealed, it must be a record of sorts that Galib did not open his mouth, literally, in the parliament during his two terms. Not to speak of raising questions of public importance or those related to his constituency, he did not even participate in debates and discussions. Sometimes he even forgot to vote as he was literally caught napping inside the parliament for which he was at times admonished also.
The Ludhiana Congress leaders said, leadership does not mean always being rewarded. “Sometimes you have to sacrifice for the party and stand by its decisions, but Galib always betrayed the party for his individual and personal grievances”, they pointed out.
The Congress leaders recalled, after the assassination of late Beant Singh, he volunteered to step aside to facilitate the candidature of his (late Beant Singh’s) wife Mata Jaswant Kaur, from Ludhiana parliamentary seat. Once party fielded her, Galib hobnobbed with the Akalis to ensure her defeat. “This was the worst ever betrayal and that too with the wife of a martyr”, they recalled.
Accusing Galib of sheer opportunism, they pointed out, he left the Congress after emergency and returned again when party came to power. “It would be matter of time when Galib would again knock begging at Congress once it returns to power ”, they said.
The party leaders asserted that Galib’s exit would hardly make any difference to the party prospects in Ludhiana. His strength and standing was exposed in 2007 assembly elections itself when despite his opposition to Gudeep Singh Bhaini from Jagaraon assembly segment he (Bhaini) won by a handsome margin. “In fact now it would be better for us as he would no longer get the chance to sabotage the party from within, which he has been doing so far”, the Congress leaders said, while adding, “any enemy outside is less dangerous than the enemy within which Galib had proved to be so far”.
Putting up a united front, the Congress leaders said, Galib’s exit was in the best interests of the party as all doubts had been clarified as he was always an Akali and a saboteur within the Congress. “Good riddance”, they remarked.
The signatories to the statement include former Minister Harnam Dass Johar, Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawer, , Milkiat Dakha, Harmohinder Singh MLA , Gurdeep Bhaini,MLA Jagron, former Mayor, Nahar Singh Gill,KK Bawa Chariman Housefed Punab,Jagmohan Sharma President DCC (Urban) Ldh,Dimple Rana President DYC(Urban) Ldh.