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Journalism of Courage
Infighting in the Bathinda Congress came to the fore today on the occasion of a party function held to mark the 24th death anniversary of slain Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Congress MLAs, Gurpreet Kangar from Rampura Phul and Makhan Singh from Pacca Kalan, chose not to attend the function presided over by state party chief Mohinder Singh Kaypee, alleging that urban unit of the district Congress did not invite them and deliberately sidelined them.
Congress MLA from Nathana Ajaib Singh Bhatti, who also did not attend the function, however, claimed that he had some “urgent work”. The three MLAs accorded a welcome to the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief near Rose Garden before the function.
“The party high command had asked the urban unit of the Congress to organise the function. They (urban unit) did not invite us,” said Kangar.
Makhan Singh was equally vocal in expressing his resentment. “We waited for two hours on the road to welcome the party president. We would have attended the function had we been invited,” he said, adding that he received a call from the urban unit chief at 8:30 am, saying that the party chief was coming at 11:30 am. “Though the party chief had talked to me a few days ago, the urban unit, being the organisers, should have also roped me in,” said Makhan.
Incidentally, Kangar, Makhan and Bhatti are considered to be Capt Amarinder Singh loyalists.
Harminder Jassi, who is believed to be from leader of Opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s camp, was the only MLA from Bathinda district constituencies to attend the function.
Ashok Kumar, district president of the urban unit of the Congress, however, said the MLAs who were complaining had been invited by the PPCC. “Even I had made telephone calls to Makhan Singh and Ajaib Bhatti,” claimed Ashok. “They are new and young leaders of the party. They do not know much about party’s culture,” fumed Ashok.
Kaypee, while ruling out any factionalism in the party, said MLAs had come to welcome him and there could be some differences which would be ironed out.
Kaypee said while Bhattal could not make it to the function as she was in Nanded, Amarinder could not come due to some personal work. Earlier, Kaypee hailed Indira Gandhi and urged the Congress workers to follow her ideology.
