CHANDIGARH, March 13: Appealing the party workers to remain united, the Congress Working Committee member and the party in charge for Punjab Thakur Gulchain Singh Charak today cautioned the party leaders and representatives to keep guard against the internal sabotage. He said, the Congress in Punjab today was very strong and certain to come to power, but needed to be united and cautious against the sabotage from within by certain vested interests.
In his maiden speech to the party delegates, MPs and legislators Mr Charak said, only the Congress was in a position to form the government in the state. He said after paying obeisance at Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple and Jallianwala Bagh yesterday he had seen unparalleled enthusiasm among the party workers which convinced him that the people had made up their mood to return Congress to power.Mr Charak sought involving and taking into confidence the party veterans who have retired from active politics for their blessings. He said, no doubt the PCC President Capt Amarinder Singh was a very strong and powerful leader, he still needed the blessings of the party veterans who were no longer in active politics.
The delegates meeting was called to deliberate on the arrangements for the March 23 Khatkar Kalan rally being organised by the party to mark the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh in his native village.
Welcoming Mr Charak to Punjab the PCC President Capt Amarinder Singh assured him that the party was in a strong position to give befitting reply to the Akali-BJP government. He also called upon the delegates to move to the grassroots and take the party programme to the people at ground level. “You have to take the fight to the booth level”, he told the delegates.
Capt Amarinder also drew the attention of the delegates towards the pictures of the great Congress leaders and freedom fighters starting from Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Azad and others. He said, it was important that people in general and the Congress workers and leaders in particular knew the history well.
He also declared that the conference hall of the PCC will be named after the former Chief Minister Shaheed Beant Singh. He announced that other halls were also being named after great martyrs and freedom fighters like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai.
The PCC President questioned the development claims of the Akali-BJP government. He told the delegates to expose the false claims of the government particularly those of the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal about development. He asked Badal to show where he has done the development worth Rs 35000 crores as he is claiming every day.
Capt Amarinder ridiculed the claims of the Deputy CM that his government had laid the foundation for generating 12000 MWs of power in the state. “If you have such a huge capacity to generate so much power then how come that light goes off for days together”, he asked.
Addressing the delegates the Congress Legislative Party leader Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal said, there was not only restlessness among the people across Punjab, but within the ruling Akali Dal as well and it was certain to get dispersed and disbanded. She pointed out, Mr Badal’s own nephew Manpreet Badal had already started the process.
Pradesh Youth Congress President and Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Bittu and Pradesh Mahila Congress president Ms Ratna also spoke on the occasion.
Prominent among those present included former PCC presidents Shamsher Singh Dullo, Mohinder Singh Gill, Lal Singh, MPs Partap Singh Bajwa, Vijay Inder Singla, Sukhdev Singh Libra and Ms Santosh Chaudhary.