Now PCC claims credit for MLAs ‘gifting’ daily allowance to police assault victim
The credit war within Punjab Congress is on.
The credit war within Punjab Congress is on.
After Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) offices competed for headlines over meeting Union HRD Minister Pallam Raju last month to demand a central probe into the “books scam”,the PCC again stole the thunder of CLP leader Sunil Jakhar by claiming credit over a donation that is clearly the latter’s making.
After the opposition MLAs faced flak from the treasury benches during the budget session for marking their attendance to claim daily allowance while holding a mock session outside — some Congress MLAs were suspended for “assaulting” a police head constable after the watch and ward staff “raided” the CLP office to look for the Tarn Taran police assault victim — the CLP had in a meeting passed a resolution to hand over the earnings to the victim.
As the new general secretary in-charge for Punjab,Shakeel Ahmed came on his maiden visit to the state,Jakhar announced during a meeting Sunday that a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakh will be handed over on behalf of the CLP by Ahmed and senior leader,MLA Laal Singh,to the victim. The money is the accumulated daily allowance of the MLAs for eight days.
A press statement of the PCC office issued in the evening read,“On behalf of PPCC,Shakeel Ahmed presented a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakh to the Dalit girl of Tarn Taran who was assaulted by police in full public view. PCC chief chief Partap Singh Bajwa informed the AICC general secretary that Congress party fought tooth and nail against injustice done to Dalit girl and the party would extend all legal and monetary help the victim girl.”
This was not all. The two “power centres” in the party also staked claim for the enrolment drive of jobless youth to be launched in July. While the idea was mooted by Jakhar during the visit of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to Khanna in April,Bajwa Sunday announced that all MLAs,sitting and defeated,would spearhead the enrolment drive as he (Bajwa) launches his mass contact programme from July 15.
Jakhar’s aides were also miffed at what they described as breach of protocol during Sunday’s meeting. “While the Leader of Opposition is asked to speak before the PCC chief,today Jakhar was asked to speak first,followed by former MLA Sukhpal Khaira,and four vice-presidents,” one of them said.
An upset Jakhar was later heard telling one of the media managers of Bajwa while speaking to scribes that he is speaking about the unemployment allowance campaign and “hope it is not seen by PCC as exceeding his brief.”
But all’s well that ends well. The PCC press note ended with,”Sunil Jakhar assured Shakeel Ahmed that Punjab Congress would fight the elections unitedly. He said Bajwa was doing commendable job and he is taking all party workers along.”
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