Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Congress Vice-president Rahul andhi would address a state level farmers conference in Punjab in March against the dilution of the Land Acquisition Act by the Narendra Modi government.
This followed the discussions Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa had with Rahul Gandhi today evening.
The meeting between the two assumes significance in the context of the open revolt against his leadership led by Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party Capt. Amarinder Singh who recently held a luncheon meeting at his New Moti Bagh Palace to exhibit his strength. He has been openly demanding change in the PPCC leadership. This group is pushing the name of Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar to replace Bajwa as a stop gap arrangement. The understanding is that Jakhar would later pave the way for Capt. Amarinder Singh. The name of Lal Singh is in circulation as replacement of Jakhar as the CLP leader.
The two leaders had an overall view of the situation in the state from where the party can hope to stage a comeback provided factionalism is taken care of. It is because of the Congress factionalism that the BJP is getting encouraged to try its luck in the next Assembly election at its own. The situation would become clear after the Delhi Assembly elections. the party high command would have to be strict in Punjab to send across the right signal.
According to the sources, although it would be a state level conference, the representatives of the farmers’ organisation from all over the country would attend. This is going to be the first major initiative by the Congress in Punjab against amendment to the land acquisition legislation. Punjab is one state where land is very scarce and the earlier legislation fully protected the rights of the farmers which now stand diluted. Apart from protesting the amendments, this conference would demand fixation of minimum support price of the crops on the Swaminathan committee recommendation which the BJP had promised in its manifesto.
Yet another major issue that came up was the gherao of Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah whenever he visits Punjab. Bajwa is learnt to have briefed Rahul about the vitiation of the atmosphere by the BJP in the state on the issue of re-conversions. This amounted to crushing the minorities. Bajwa is learnt to have put the issue in the perspective of the supreme sacrifice made by Guru Tegh Bahadur on the issue of religious freedom.
He also apprised the party vice-president as to how the Akali Dal-BJP government had been put on the defensive on the issue of drug smuggling by the Congress and in this context he detailed about the campaign launched by the party against drug smuggling and to press the demand for CBI probe into the smuggler-politician nexus. Now the relations between the Akali Dal and the BJP were under strain which he attributed mainly to the pressure built by the Congress.
The two leaders also discussed the municipal bodies polls that are to be held in the state in near future. Bajwa is learnt to have discussed with him the way the people were being mobilised and galavanised for these polls.
It is because of the Congress factionalism that the BJP is getting encouraged to try its luck in the next Assembly election at its own. The situation would become clear after the Delhi Assembly elections.
News Courtesy : https://www.punjabupdate.com
