Taking charge as the new Punjab Congress president amidst a huge crush of supporters and a galaxy of senior politicians on Friday, former chief minister Amarinder Singh promised his cadres that he would exact retribution from those responsible for fabricating thousands of criminal cases against Congress workers during the tenure of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government.
An estimated 50,000 party workers at Chandigarh’s Punjab Congress Bhavan cheered wildly as the new PPCC chief declared, “I promise to all of you here today, that those responsible for fabricating false cases against our workers will not be spared when we form the government after the coming Assembly elections.”
At his attacking best, Capt. Singh charged the ruling coalition of “rampant corruption and misgovernance of the worst kind,” which he said was leading to “a complete collapse of the economy, joblessness, breakdown of law and order and total anarchy in Punjab.”
Capt. Amarinder Singh said, “People have had it with the SAD-BJP and would throw them out if elections were to be held tomorrow.”
Thanking Congress president Sonia Gandhi for entrusting him with the huge responsibility of rescuing the state from its current distress, Capt. Singh vowed to travel to “every village, basti, town and city” to build a never before movement against the present government.”
He assured workers that he was one among them and would be available to listen to their problems 24x7.
Though viewed as belated by many party men, Capt. Singh’s appointment at PPCC chief drew support from several Punjab Congress veterans hitherto known to be inimical to him.
Besides AICC secretary R.C. Kuntia and national spokesman Manish Tewari, those present included CLP leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former governors Balram Jakhar and Raghunandan Lal Bhatia, and four ex-Pradesh Congress chiefs — Mohinder Singh Gill, Santokh Singh Randhawa, Shamsher Singh Dullo and Mohinder Singh Kaypee.
Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa and CWC member Jagmeet Brar, who are still believed to be sulking, were conspicuous by their absence.