No intention to continue in Congress, but not joining BJP: Amarinder
Darpan News Desk IANS, 30 Sep, 2021 10:48 AM
New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) Scotching speculation to the contrary, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday made it clear he was not joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but had no intention of continuing in the Congress either, which he said was going downhill with senior leaders completely ignored and not given a voice.
Denying any move to join the BJP, Captain Amarinder Singh said he would leave the Congress where he had been utterly humiliated and was not trusted.
"I will resign, will not stay in the party," he said, adding that he was still thinking through his options in the interest of Punjab, whose security was the predominant priority for him.
"I will not be treated in this humiliating manner. I will not take such insults," he said, adding that his principles and beliefs do not allow him to stay in the Congress.
Terming the senior Congressmen as the thinkers, who were critical to the future of the party, the former Chief Minister said the younger leadership should be promoted to implement the plans, which the senior leaders are best equipped to formulate.
Unfortunately, the seniors were being completely sidelined, he said, adding this was not good for the party. He also condemned the attack on Kapil Sibal's house by Congress workers only because he had chosen to express views that were not palatable to the party leadership.
Expressing hope that Punjab would vote for the future of the state, he said his experience showed that the people of Punjab tend to vote for a single party or force, irrespective of the number of parties in the fray.
Misgovernance in Punjab would give Pakistan the opportunity to create trouble in the state and in the country, he said, adding that his meeting with NSA Ajit Doval this morning focused around this issue.
Captain Amarinder had raised security concerns with Home Minister Amit Shah too, along with the farmers' issue, during his meeting with the latter on Wednesday.
Taking a dig at those who undermine the growing Pakistani threat in Punjab, he said that such people were playing into the hands of anti-India forces by being in denial mode. "They (Pak-backed elements) are killing our soldiers every day, they are pushing weapons into the state through drones. How can we overlook these dangers," he added.
Reiterating his opinion on Navjot Singh Sidhu, Captain Amarinder described him as a mere crowd puller who does not know how to carry his team along.
Pointing out that he had personally worked with many PCC chiefs, besides himself being one, he said he always resolved issues amicably, without indulging in theatrics like Sidhu.
Amid farmers protest in Karnal, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Wednesday that the government should avoid confrontation with the farmers and find amicable solution. He said confrontation is not good as farmers have every right to protest peacefully for their demands.
This agreement would set an institutional mechanism for partnership and cooperation between India and Portugal on sending and accepting Indian workers and a Joint Committee will be set up to follow up the implementation of the same.
These internal differences notwithstanding, the Taliban are reaching out to regional/global powers underlining their desire to build "good relations" with the neighbouring countries, especially China which has "always contributed" to the Afghan economy, as well as with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, India and Uzbekistan.
Jorhat district police chief Ankur Jain said that the police and the disaster management personnel located the capsized boat about 350 metres from the riverbank.
Demanding the MSP of wheat to be fixed at Rs 2,830 per quintal (as against present Rs 2,015 per quintal), Amarinder Singh said the farmers should not be forced to subsidise the consumers, which they have been doing since long.
Amarinder Singh said MP Pratap Bajwa had already demanded a district status for Batala, in his letter dated August 11 and had cited Batala's historic importance and its connection with Guru Nanak Dev, who had married Mata Sulakhni in Batala in 1487.
