Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh at his press conference in Chandigarh on Wednesday. (Express Photo: Jasbir S Malhi)Punjab News Highlights: A day after former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said he would meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with a non-political delegation of agriculture experts on Thursday, the meeting was postponed. Amarinder left for Delhi on Wednesday but is learnt to have received a message in the morning on Thursday that Shah had to leave for Gujarat in connection with a party programme to mark National Integration Day on October 31.
The decision to meet Shah came a day after Captain confirmed that his new party will enter a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP, but asserted that he was not open to an alliance with Akalis. The name of the party has not yet been decided upon, he added.
“Let the EC decide. We have made a request for symbol and the name. Will let you know when we get clearance,” he said.
The opposition parties in Punjab termed the former chief minister’s presser an “act of desperation” and a “damp squib” even as the BJP, expectedly heaped praise on veteran leader for “exposing Congress” and for his “efforts to resolve the farmers’ issues”.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, said that Amarinder had proven to be such a failure that his own party decided to dump him as CM. “There is nothing left for him to say except tell lies about his so-called achievements as the CM. Had he even done an iota of what he claims to have accomplished in his four-and-a-half years of misrule then he would have still been in chair,” said Cheema.
Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has gone to Delhi where he is expected to meet the Congress leadership, sources said on Wednesday. Channi's visit to the national capital came on a day former CM Amarinder Singh said he will launch his new party when the Election Commission clears it name and symbol, and claimed that several party leaders are in touch with him. The Congress leadership has reached out to several party leaders, including MLAs considered Amarider Singh's loyalists. (PTI)
BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh on Wednesday hailed former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh's efforts to resolve farmers' issues and said any intervention is welcome to resolve the deadlock with protesting farmers.
Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since last year against three central farm laws and demanding these be repealed. In a statement, Chugh, who is a BJP leader from the state, hailed Singh for his efforts to resolve farmers' issues and said that "the Centre has been always open to talks with farmers and has welcomed any intervention to resolve the deadlock". (PTI)
AAP leader Jarnail Singh on Wednesday asked the Congress why it has not expelled former chief minister Amarinder Singh from the party for announcing his new outfit and backing the Centre's move of extending BSF's jurisdiction in the state.
Why the Congress high command is silent and not expelling Amarinder Singh, who is "speaking the language of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)", asked the AAP's Delhi MLA.
In a statement, Jarnail Singh alleged that Amarinder Singh, who was "speaking in favour of the BJP", was doing it with the "consent" of the Congress. "Amarinder Singh is the proof of the Congress and the BJP's double-standards. The Congress and the BJP are working in collusion and the Akali Dal (Badal) is also part of the same group," he alleged. (PTI)
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to discuss possible solutions to the ongoing farmers' stir against the Centre's three farm laws. Singh on Wednesday said he will be meeting Shah along with some agricultural experts.
"Tomorrow I am going to meet Home Minister Shah and 25-30 people will go with me," he said while addressing the media here during which he also said that he is on the verge of launching a political party and would announce its launch as soon as the Election Commission of India approves its name and symbol. (PTI)
In his first press conference since his resignation last month as Punjab chief minister, Capt Amarinder Singh defended the Centre’s decision to enhance the BSF jurisdiction in the state, saying it was to counter the threat posed by drones from across the border.
“To say that enhancement of BSF jurisdiction is wrong is not fair. Nobody is taking over the states. It is just that they are on the lookout for drones in a 50-km area. That’s why they have enhanced jurisdiction,” he said.
The Centre’s decision to extend the BSF’s jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km inside the international border along Punjab, West Bengal and Assam had triggered furious reactions from Opposition-ruled states, with Punjab with an all-party meeting in Punjab, barring the BJP, passing a unanimous resolution on Monday rejecting the Centre’s notification. Read the full report here.
The opposition parties in Punjab termed former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s press conference here Thursday as an “act of desperation” and a “damp squib” even as the BJP, expectedly heaped praise on veteran leader for “exposing Congress” and for his “efforts to resolve the farmers’ issues”.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, said that Amarinder had proven to be such a failure that his own party decided to dump him as CM. “There is nothing left for him to say except tell lies about his so-called achievements as the CM. Had he even done an iota of what he claims to have accomplished in his four-and-a-half years of misrule then he would have still been in chair,” said Cheema.
The LoP further said that Amarinder’s statement that he is looking for an alignment with BJP proves what AAP has been saying all throughout his tenure as CM. “We have been pointing out that Amarinder is hand in glove with Akalis. And this has now been proven. Even (state Congress chief) Navjot Singh Sidhu is saying this now along with all top Congress leaders. Earlier these same people were singing paeans to Amarinder’s honour,” he said. Read the full report here.
Announcing his new political party, Capt Amarinder Singh said that he would enter a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP, but was not open to an alliance with Akalis.
Channi on the BSF issue: "I never wrote any letter or recommended increasing BSF jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km. I wrote only two letters to Centre: one for reopening of Kartarpur corridor and other for rollback of Farm Laws. Never wrote anything on BSF to Centre."
Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said that the state government will approach the Supreme Court against the Centre's recent move to enhance jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF). "If Centre does not solve BSF jurisdiction issue, we will take it to Punjab Vidhan Sabha and also move Supreme Court as per law," he said, following the Cabinet meeting in Ludhiana.
Meanwhile, following the cabinet meeting in Ludhiana, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi said that the Cabinet has decided to call for a special Punjab Vidhan Sabha session on November 8 to repeal the three contentious farm laws.
Capt Amarinder Singh on his new party: "We will fight 117 seats. There are plenty of Congressmen coming with us."
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh confirmed that his new party will enter a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP. The name of the party has not yet been decided upon, he added.
“Let the EC decide. We have made a request for symbol and the name. Will let you know when we get clearance,” he said.
Confirming that he will soon be launching his own political party, Capt Amarinder Singh said that he can't yet disclose its name as lawyers are still finalising details.
"Let the EC decide. We have made a request for symbol and the name. Will let you know when we get clearance," he said.
Claiming that weapons and drugs were being dropped by drones in the state, Amarinder Singh said that with technology quickly advancing now explosives are also being deployed.
"I am not an alarmist. But I know something is happening," he said, urging the government to take action. "Tell villagers that drones are coming. We have to be careful about this clandestine warfare. We , politicians should protect Punjab."
Commenting on the security situation in Punjab, Amarinder Singh said: "Khalistanis and Pakistanis are trying to foment trouble in Punjab."
"It is not right for any government to mock the situation in Punjab," he added. The CRPF and BSF will have to assist thePunjab police to ensure peace in the state, Amarinder explained.
Listing out his government's accomplishments, Amarinder said it was wrong to claim he had not done any work as chief minister. "I don’t want to name the minister, who has been saying that I did not work, but it is wrong to say that," he said.
"We were able to fulfill 92 per cent of the promises we made in our manifesto," Amarinder said. "Only 10 promises could not be fulfilled as those were related to VAT."
Addressing the media, ousted CM Amarinder Singh said that he had come to list his achievements during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab.
Captain Amarinder Singh has arrived for his press conference. He is expected to launch his new political party. He was not accompanied by any political leaders.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi will address the media ahead of Capt Amarinder Singh's press conference. A Punjab Congress Cabinet meeting is set to begin shortly at Circuit House in Ludhiana.
A day ahead of former CM Amarinder Singh’s scheduled press conference in Chandigarh, the Congress high command reached out to several party leaders from Punjab on Tuesday.
As soon as Amarinder’s media adviser Raveen Thukral sent out invites for Wednesday’s presser, AICC leader Rahul Gandhi invited at least five MLAs to Delhi and held separate meetings with them.
Thukral had sent out messages that Amarinder would be holding a press conference at 11 am on Wednesday. Read the full report here.