New Delhi: The internal tussle in Punjab Congress got intense after the state cabinet pitched for the immediate expulsion of Rajya Sabha MPs Pratap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo for their 'anti-party and anti-government’ activities, after terming it gross indiscipline.
The due also raised drug cases in state and demanded ED and CBI enquiry.
Indiscipline would not be tolerated at any time, least of all when Assembly elections in the state are less than two years way, they said, pointing to the MPs’ repeated attacks on the state government of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Questioning their decision to raise concerns on the hooch tragedy, the ministers said the two MPs had never, in their Rajya Sabha term, bothered to raise any issue of the interest of the state they represent.
“Why did they not press for the completion of the ED probe into the drugs issue during the Akali regime? Why did they not protest in the House against the anti-farm Ordinances of the Union Government? Why did they never speak about the CBI’s failure to probe the sacrilege cases?” the ministers asked.
Reacting to the allegations, Pratap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo issued a joint statement and said that Jakhar himself has criticized Capt. Amrinder Singh working as the CM during the present tenure and now is acting as if Capt. has never failed in performing his duties. The statement said that during the tenure of Pratap Singh Bajwa as Punjab Congress Chief, Captain Amrinder Singh used to criticize Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and party's high command including Rahul Gandhi.
Also read: Punjab hooch tragedy: BJP and AAP slam state government of laxity
"Pratap Singh Bajwa had on record been asking for CBI probe as well as an investigation by ED, especially against Bikram Majithia. It was capt Amarinder Singh who opposed it by issuing a statement saying that despite the fact that Bikram's brother in law was Deputy Chief Minister and the Home minister of state Punjab Police would be able to investigate the case in a proper and fair manner," the statement added.
As regards to sacrilege case, it needs to be specifically pointed out that till date Punjab Police does not have the original case filed with them which is still lying with the CBI.
"We are disheartened by the lack of effective action by the state administration in ensuring the families who have lost loved ones due to liquor mafia are delivered justice," Dullo and Bajwa's statement added.
