Bir Devinder says goodbye to Manpreet as well

Wednesday, 22/08/2012

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=45772&boxid=58071&uid=&dat=2012-08-22

Chandigarh : Less than two years after he had bade adieu to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which he had served for less than a year, former Punjab Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh on Tuesday announced to quit as chief spokesman of the Manpreet Singh Badal-led Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP).

A veteran politician, Bir Devider had joined PPP after resigning from the SAD in October 2010. Earlier, in February 2008, he had left the Congress party, which he had served for over three decades.

The resignation of Bir Devinder came in the wake of Manpreet’s recent statement in which he alleged that the leader wanted to quit the party as his shelf life in any party is about six months.

In a resignation letter, Bir Devider wrote, “My dear Manpreet, I very humbly acknowledge your gracious observation about my shelf life that appeared in a section of press today. I thank you for being so smartly observant with regard to the shelf life of your senior colleagues, who parked themselves in your ‘shelf’ i.e. PPP.”

“I appreciate your subtle goodness to approach me to be part of your endeavourers on November 20, 2010 at my residence in Patiala. I vividly recall your affable words you used, to solicit my support for ‘Jago Punjab Yatra’, which originated from Faridkot on November 24, 2010,” he further wrote.

Taking exception to Manpreet’s statement, Bir Devider said, “I wish to ask you now if you were so sure of the short span of my shelf life, which you had fixed six months only, in the expression of your mature wisdom, than where was the need to discuss future plans of the PPP with me? Secondly, have you ever ventured to exert some pressure on your mind to search for the reason why people, who all were so close to you, deserted your so called ‘shelf’ sooner than later. There must be some manufacturing defect or grave disorder in the ‘shelf’ itself that is why it is causing decay more rapidly and people are deserting the ‘shelf’. Please do some soul searching and embark on self-introspection of your own behaviour rather than spiting venom and finding fault in your senior colleagues.”

“In the end I would like to express my gratitude for having me appointed as chief spokesman of the PPP. Under the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to continue as such after your remarkable discovery pertaining to my shelf life and scathing and insalubrious censure. You are free to appoint any other person in my place but kindly make sure about his befitting shelf life, durable to be parked in your shelf,” the veteran politician concluded, while wishing Manpreet and his party “all well”. Repeated calls to Manpreet, however, remained unanswered.