Punjab Congress seeks action against MPs Bajwa, Dullo

The recommendation, in form of letter, has been sent to the party’s central disciplinary action committee headed by former defence minister AK Antony and comprising veteran leaders Motilal Vora and Sushil Kumar Shinde, and also Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Congress’s Punjab unit has recommended disciplinary action against Rajya Sabha members Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo for their alleged “anti-party activities and using derogatory language” against chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state party chief Sunil Jakhar, people familiar with the matter said.

Bajwa and Dullo have stepped up their attacks against the chief minister and Jakhar following the recent hooch tragedy in which over 100 people were killed.(Ravi Kumar/HT Photo)

The recommendation, in form of letter, has been sent to the party’s central disciplinary action committee headed by former defence minister AK Antony and comprising veteran leaders Motilal Vora and Sushil Kumar Shinde, and also Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Bajwa and Dullo have stepped up their attacks against the chief minister and Jakhar following the recent hooch tragedy in which over 100 people were killed. They have demanded their removal over alleged failure to check the liquor mafia’s nexus.

Bajwa has claimed the removal of Singh and Jakhar will be in the interest of the party, which otherwise will be obliterated in Punjab.

A Congress functionary said on the condition of anonymity that the state unit has attached video clips of Bajwa’s alleged “utterances” against the chief minister and Jakhar during his recent interactions with journalists.

A joint letter written by Bajwa and Dullo to Punjab governor V P Singh Badnore, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate into the alleged “illegal” liquor trade in the state, has also been attached, he added.

“Whatever grievances they had, the two leaders should have written directly to the party high command and not the governor against their own government. This is gross indiscipline and a clear cut case of anti-party activities,” said the functionary quoted above.

The central disciplinary committee will now look into the matter and decide accordingly, he added.

Soon after Bajwa and Dullo met the governor, the Punjab unit recommended their expulsion from the party. It was followed up by Jakhar’s letter to Gandhi, demanding the removal of Bajwa and Dullo from the party for “breach of discipline and also the betrayal of the Congress”.

Congress’ in-charge of Punjab affairs, Asha Kumari, has asked all state leaders to refrain from making public comments and instead raise their issues at party platforms.

She said the Congress high command is aware of the matter and will take whatever action is required.

On Saturday, the Punjab government also decided to withdraw the state police security given to Bajwa, claiming that he did not face any threat.

A Punjab government spokesperson said the decision was taken following an assessment that there was no threat perception to him and that he was already provided with security cover by the Centre.

The state police security provided to Bajwa had become redundant since he had managed personal security directly from home minister Amit Shah, the spokesperson added.

Bajwa said he and Dullo are firm on their demand for the removal of the chief minister and Jakhar and that they will also present their views to the central disciplinary panel.

“Both Captain Amarinder and Jakhar are mixed up with the BJP and the Akali Dal. A very senior bureaucrat in the Modi government is calling the shots in the Captain Amarinder Singh government. Now the time has come for the Congress high command to decide if it wants the state leadership to remain in the party or is outsourced to the BJP,” he said.

“Action should be taken against them rather us. We are actually trying to safeguard the party’s interests.”