Rally brings rift in Congress to the fore
Tuesday, 04/06/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130604/punjab.htm#8
Bathinda : The Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP leaders are poised to gain political mileage over the infighting between Congress Working Committee member Jagmeet Brar and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Partap Singh Bajwa that has come to the fore over the past few days.
The two leaders have been following separate agendas in bringing justice to those Congress workers who have allegedly been falsely booked by the government for rioting and arson in Mann village on May 19, the polling day of the Zila parishad elections.
Jagmeet Brar’s move to stage the “Insaaf rally” on his own in Badal village in protest against the government highhandedness in Mann village has made public the rift within the Congress.
Brar had earlier pre-empted the visit of PCC chief to Mann village and reached there a day early which sources said annoyed Bajwa.
Reports said though most senior leaders and Congress MLAs stayed away from the two-day dharna, Brar roped in a number of local leaders, who had contested assembly elections as independents and contributed to the loss of Congress candidates.
Senior leaders see this as a clear indication of Brar challenging the PCC chief.
One of the independent candidates includes Amarjit Singh Rajeana, who stood against Darshan Brar of Congress at Baghapurana. Gurbir Singh Lalli Khuranj is another who contested at Jalalabad while Jagtar Singh Daula stood against MLA Raja Warring of Congress at Gidderbaha.
Jagmeet Brar’s supporters, however, say he is not challenging anyone's authority and is only doing his duty as a leader of the Malwa region. His supporters insist that he had staged an open dharna and anyone, who was a victim of the Akalis, was welcome to join.
Simmering discontent
- Brar roped in a number of local leaders, who had contested assembly elections as independents and contributed to the loss of Congress candidates
- Senior leaders see this as a clear indication that Brar is challenging the PCC chief
- Brar's supporters insist that he had staged an open dharna and anyone, who was a victim of the Akalis, was welcome to join
