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Hanspal defends Amarinder Singh

Ludhiana Jan 2 . Defending the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president, H. S. Hanspal today claimed that he (the Chief Minister) was a changed man now as he had changed his style of functioning and that the Chief Minister was ``quite accessible to the people and the party''.

Addressing a press conference here today, Hanspal said, the Chief Minister regularly attended his office and also went to the party office to listen to the problems of the workers. The PCC president maintained that the crisis in the party would be resolved very soon.

When asked as to why he did not initiate any action against the dissidents for indiscipline, Hanspal expressed his helplessness saying the dissidents had approached the high command, which is above him. He said the Congress had democratic set-up and all voices had to be heard.

Hanspal admitted that there were certain lapses on part of the government also. He blamed the Vigilance Bureau for unnecessarily raising the controversy and dragging the Transport Minister Tej Parkash's name in a corruption issue. He said, it was ``negligence'' on part of the Bureau and A. P. Pandey, chief director had to pay for that.

Admitting that the current crisis in the party had damaged its image Hanspal hoped that it will not have any harmful impact on the Congress prospects in the Lok Sabha elections as the party will provide a united fight.

He asserted that he was neutral and did not favour any particular group. All the MLAs belonged to him and he belonged to everyone in the party. Hanspal ruled out the appointment of any outsider as the Chief Minister. He said, ``that situation may not arise at all as the issue will resolved very soon''. -- PTI

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