CHANDIGARH: Amid sharp exchanges between Punjab Congress leaders and ex-chief minister Amarinder Singh over his friendship with Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam, senior leader Manish Tewari on Sunday said he never saw “such chaos and anarchy” in the party’s state unit.
Expressing dismay over the “guttural language” used against each other that “even fishwives would not use”, Tewari asked whether the party thought the people were not disgusted by the “daily soap opera”.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had said a probe would be conducted to ascertain whether Alam has links with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, prompting Amarinder Singh to accuse Randhawa of resorting to personal attacks.
State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu slammed Amarinder Singh on Saturday alleging that not a single posting of any official took place in the state without “money or gifts” to Aroosa Alam.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Tewari questioned the progress on issues like the 2015 sacrilege incidents, drug menace and power purchase pacts. He also hit out at Congress general secretary Harish Rawat over his reference in an interview.
“Since you (Rawat) referred to me in this interview I also have great regard and respect for you going back to days when I headed the National Students’ Union of India and you the Congress Sevadal. However, in my 40 years plus in the Congress I have never seen such chaos and anarchy as what is playing out in INC Punjab today.
“Repeated open defiance of AICC by a PCC president, colleagues squabbling publicly with each other like children. Guttural language against each other that even fishwives would not use. For the past five months, it is INC Punjab vs INC Punjab. Do we think that people of Punjab are not disgusted by this daily soap opera?,” tweeted Tewari.
He also termed the Mallikarjun Kharge-led three-member panel formed by the Congress earlier to end factionalism in its Punjab unit as “a serious error of judgement”.
“Irony is that those who complained loudest of transgressions and aberrations were unfortunately and continue to be worst offenders themselves. History would record that the appointment of the committee that ostensibly heard perceived and real grievances was a serious error of judgement.
“Where is progress on the issues that agitated these MLAs and other eminences – bargari, drugs, power PPAs, illegal sand mining. Has there been any movement forward?” tweeted Tewari.
The Congress had a few months ago appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress chief despite strong opposition from then chief minister Amarinder Singh.
Amarinder Singh resigned as the Punjab chief minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu. A few days ago, he said he would soon announce his political party and hoped for a seat arrangement with the BJP if the farmers’ issue is resolved in their interest.
Charanjit Singh Channi has replaced Amarinder Singh as chief minister.
But later, Sidhu resigned as the Punjab Congress chief while raising a question over the appointments of the state police chief and state advocate general. On October 15, Sidhu said that said his concerns had been resolved and the Congress asserted he would continue as the head of the Punjab unit.