Parl Session: Cong Plans Adjournment Motion On Farmers
As the Monsoon session begins tomorrow, the Congress MPs will move an adjournment motion in both houses of the Parliament on farmers’ issue, said party leader Manish Tewari on Sunday.
Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Manish Tewari said, “We had detailed discussions on ongoing farmers’ protest and the allocation of vaccines in Punjab. We will be presenting ‘Kaam Roko Prastav’ in the House. We have also discussed the strategy for the upcoming Parliament session keeping Punjab issues in mind.”
Amid the ongoing tussle in Punjab Congress, all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress from the state met at the party MP Pratap Singh Bajwa’s residence in Delhi on Sunday to discuss issues related to the state unit.
Congress MPs Manish Tewari, Jasbir Gill, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Mohd Siddiqui, Praneet Kaur, Santokh Chaudhary, Ravneet Singh Bittu and others attended the meeting at Bajwa’s residence.
However, Congress MPs categorically denied discussing the Captain-Sidhu rift, saying they formulated strategies to corner the government in the Monsoon session.
Pratap Singh Bajwa said the farmers’ protest and issues related to Punjab were discussed in the meeting.
Asked about Navjot Singh Sidhu, Bajwa said, “In democratic parties, differences are there. We are loyal to Congress. We will follow whatever party high-command decides. We have accepted persons from any caste or religion, young or old, tall or short. We accepted it earlier, will do it now as well. There is no challenge. Navjot Singh Sidhu had come for a courtesy meet after he met Sonia Gandhi. I did not give him any directions. At the MPs meet, we discussed farm issues and price rise.”
On Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, he said, “My differences with Captain are not personal but on policies, on promises not met by the State Government. We had detailed discussions on them. He has asked for around 12-14 weeks’ time to fulfil them as there are seven months to the elections.”
Congress MP from Punjab Jasbir Gill said, “There was no talk of Navjot Singh Sidhu. We discussed how the farmers’ issue could be raised in Parliament. We also talked about high inflation and Punjab’s taxes that are not released by the Centre.”
The meeting came amid the heightened political buzz about possible organisational changes in the Punjab Congress. While Navjot Singh Sidhu is likely to head the Punjab unit of the party, 4 working presidents will be appointed with him, the sources said.
“We have invited all Congress MPs from Punjab for a meeting to devise a strategy on farmers’ issue and to discuss some important issues related to the Punjab Congress,” Bajwa had told ANI before the meeting.
Incidentally, the meeting also comes a day after Bajwa, along with Punjab Speaker Rana KP Singh and state Cabinet Minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi met Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh at his residence.
On Friday, sources had said that Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi expressing apprehensions about the possible appointment of party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu as PCC chief.
A power tussle in Punjab Congress has been going on for almost a month where Sidhu openly rebelled against the state government by criticising the electricity crisis in the state. Congress leadership has been making efforts to find a solution to the rift ahead of assembly polls earlier next year. (ANI)