No assembly with Sonia or Rahul; deadlines for Capt to satisfy guarantees

In an uncommon transfer that indicators its rising displeasure over the rift inside its Punjab unit, the Congress excessive command Wednesday got here out in public to say that it has directed Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to work on implementing the occasion’s 18 key ballot manifesto guarantees inside a timeframe.
Simultaneously, the occasion’s three-member committee on Punjab, led by Mallikarjun Kharge, mentioned it might name Singh’s rising rival Navjot Singh Sidhu to Delhi for discussions. Besides, the Chief Minister, who was in Delhi for a two-day go to, returned to Punjab with out assembly both Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.
The excessive command, nonetheless, additionally signalled that it was not proud of the latest outbursts of Sidhu, a problem which the Chief Minister had flagged with the committee. Singh is learnt to have informed the committee that it must rein in Sidhu as his statements may have an effect on the occasion with lower than a yr left for state elections.
A day after the Kharge panel held detailed discussions with the Chief Minister, the excessive command made it recognized that it has set deadlines for him to fulfil the guarantees of 2017.
The guarantees embody taking motion within the Bargari sacrilege case; cracking down on drug rackets, and sand and transport mafia; offering 200 models of free energy to city households; scrapping of “faulty” energy buy agreements; scholarships for Scheduled Caste kids; and, waiver of loans for Dalits.
“There are 18 issues on which the AICC, the party, has told the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister will hold a press conference and make these public,” Harish Rawat, AICC basic secretary answerable for Punjab, mentioned.
Party sources mentioned the Kharge panel’s discussions with the Chief Minister have been centred on the progress of implementation of the guarantees. Sources mentioned Singh has already requested his crew in Punjab to start out engaged on the 18-point programme.
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi met Rawat, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, MP Manish Tewari, Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa, state Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and occasion MLA Inderbir Bolaria. Over the final three days, Gandhi is learnt to have met about 20 leaders from Punjab.
Following his assembly, Jakhar mentioned the excessive command was taking the disaster “seriously” and shortly, the “entire party will fight unitedly” and the “crisis will be over”.
A celebration chief, who had met Gandhi within the final 48 hours, mentioned he appeared to have made up his thoughts. “He just heard me. It seems he has made up his mind on what needs to be done,” the chief mentioned.
A senior chief mentioned Sonia Gandhi and Rahul may have met the Punjab Chief Minister. “Whether he sought an appointment or not is immaterial. The CM was in Delhi for two days, they could have met him,” the chief mentioned.
Rawat mentioned the Congress president is predicted to take key selections associated to Punjab within the first or second week of July. However, opinion within the Punjab Congress appeared divided after the newest developments.
“These are like tasks given to a school kid. I don’t know what the high command is trying to do. They are humiliating the Chief Minister, and unnecessarily complicating matters,” a pacesetter near Singh mentioned.
However, one of many Chief Minister’s critics mentioned the excessive command had asserted itself for the primary time. “He has been cut to size. His desperation, too, is evident. He has appeared before the panel twice, going to the Parliament office of Kharge yesterday. Has any Chief Minister ever been summoned like this? Look at his decision to give government jobs to the sons of two MLAs…all of these show that he is feeling the heat,” the chief mentioned.
In Punjab, one of many two MLAs, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa, mentioned he had written to the Home Department to convey the shortcoming of his son to take up the federal government job. Besides Fateh’s son, the state authorities had determined to provide a job to MLA Rakesh Pandey’s son as Naib Tehsildar.

On Wednesday, referring to this concern, Jakhar blamed “a few advisors” of the Chief Minister who have been “giving him wrong suggestions and making him take wrong decisions”.
Rawat, in the meantime, mentioned whereas 95 per cent of the manifesto guarantees have been carried out, some are “work in progress”. “He (Amarinder Singh) will be looking into drugs and sacrilege… He has promised that he will scrap some agreements with private thermal plants,” Rawat mentioned, including that the excessive command has requested Singh to take motion within the Bargari case inside the ambit of legislation.

On the timeframe given to Singh, Rawat mentioned: “He told us that he will get the matters examined legally and get back to us.” Rawat additionally mentioned that the excessive command has taken notice of the “issues” Sidhu has raised.
On Sunday, talking to The Indian Express, Sindhu had mentioned that whereas he isn’t in search of any submit within the authorities or occasion, he can’t be used as a “showpiece” by “selfish, vested interests” to win elections. Asked about Sidhu’s statements, Rawat mentioned he’ll look at them.