AMRITSAR, October 11
In a major setback to the ruling Akali Dal, party MLA from Amritsar South, Inderbir Singh Bolaria and former Shiromani Akali Dal district president Upkar Singh Sandhu today joined the Congress.
They were inducted into the party by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh in the presence of senior leaders, including AICC Secretary Harish Chaudhary and MLAs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, OP Soni, Sukh Sarkaria, Dr Raj Kumar Verka, Ms Mamta Dutta and others.
Welcoming the Akali leaders into the Congress, Capt Amarinder said this was the beginning of the end for the SAD. "The exodus from Akali Dal into the Congress has just begun and it will keep on growing till elections," he said, while adding there were several other leaders in touch with the party who will join in due course.
The PCC president said that Bolaria had joined the Congress without any condition. He said the entire rank and file of the Congress in Amritsar had welcomed the induction of the Akali leaders into the party.
He said Bolaria had a Congress background as his father had worked closely with him in the party before joining the Akali Dal. "It is rather a homecoming for Bolaria," he remarked.
Replying to a question about the possibility of Navjot Singh Sidhu joining the Congress, he said everyone was welcome to join the Congress without any conditions and had to follow a certain discipline.
He reiterated that Sidhu’s Awaz-e-Punjab was welcome to merge into the Congress but there was no possibility of any alliance with it.
Condemns brutal assault on Congressmen in Ludhiana
Capt Amarinder condemned the brutal assault on Congress workers and leaders in Ludhiana by Akali goons last night. He said the Congress workers had every right to put up the effigies of Akali leaders as Raavan for burning as everyone believes the Badals and Majithia to be the embodiment of evil.
"Not just the Congress leaders, the whole of Punjab believes them to be worse than Raavan and there is no harm if they are compared with him," he said, adding that all those responsible for attack on Congressmen will be held accountable once Congress forms the government. "I will avenge each and every assault on my workers," he asserted.
Akali Dal reduced to family fiefdom
Replying to reporters’ questions, Bolaria said the Akali Dal had been reduced to the family fiefdom of Badals and Majithias. He said the Akali Dal will soon be decimated as workers and leaders were feeling disillusioned and alienated.
Among others present on the occasion were Jugal Kishore Sharma, Gurjeet Aujla, Harpartap Ajnala, Karamjit Singh Rintu and Rajeev Bhagat.
إرسال تعليق