The Hindu : 'Neutral' loyalists speak up for CM

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Sunday, Dec 21, 2003

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'Neutral' loyalists speak up for CM

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH DEC. 20. Claiming to be part of a `neutral group' in the ongoing intra-party feud of the ruling Congress, Punjab's PWD Minister, Pratap Singh Bajwa, and former president of the State unit, M.S. Gill, have appealed to disgruntled legislators to return and resume their responsibilities towards the State and party.

Talking to presspersons this morning, Mr. Bajwa said that the opposing camps had apprised the Congress high command including party president, Sonia Gandhi, of their respective opinion on different issues including the functioning of the State Government. Mrs. Gandhi has assured that the party would initiate an exercise to sort out and remove the causes of animosity.

Both Mr. Bajwa and Mr. Gill said that till Ms. Gandhi gave her decision, it was the duty of all Ministers and legislators to resume their duties to fulfil the mandate by the people. The leaders appealed to the dissidents, whom they preferred to call "party colleagues" to learn some lessons from a similar public display of fissures in 1996, when the H.S. Brar was removed as Chief Minister.

In the subsequent Assembly polls of 1997, the party just managed to survive from being washed out completely. The "neutral group" was of the opinion that it was time misgivings are dealt with and a fresh start made to restore the confidence among the people, as they expected the Lok Sabha polls in the next few months.

Justifying their being called the "neutral group", Mr. Bajwa said that the seven legislators of the group stayed neither at the Punjab Bhavan nor Kapurthala House, where the rival groups camped recently in Delhi. He said though their group had reservations about the positions adopted by the feuding factions, each led by the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, and Agriculture Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, they had worked to bring about rapprochement and cool the tempers on both sides.

Mr. Bajwa appealed to the dissatisfied section of the party to respond to the initiatives by the Chief Minister, who while promising to improve his style of functioning had removed some controversial aides. He said in the interest of the State and party, it was advisable to give Capt. Amarinder Singh another opportunity to lead at such a critical juncture when the party was faced with numerous challenges. He was of the opinion that the remaining bitterness between the two camps could only be reduced through mutual dialogue, for which the "neutral group" was willing to mediate to any extent.

Regarding certain apprehensions said to have been aired by some dissident legislators, Mr. Bajwa said he had the assurance of the Chief Minister, who wanted to make a fresh beginning. He said that to build confidence among the disgruntled legislators, Capt. Amarinder Singh could be approached to shift senior bureaucrat, Sanjit K. Sinha, from the post of Home Secretary.

He was recently relieved as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.

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'Neutral' loyalists speak up for CM