Cong's Jan. 22 programme to be held under PPCC umbrella: Bajwa

Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa today said he welcomes the "belated initiative" by his bete noire Amarinder Singh aimed at taking on the ruling SAD-BJP with a rally on Jan. 22 at Amritsar but clarified that the event would be held under the party's umbrella.
BJP President Amit Shah is set to launch his party's drive against drugs in Amritsar on Jan. 22 and Congress has decided it will to counter the ruling coalition by opening a campaign across the state.
"I am happy that the entire party is getting united to confront Shah. Punjab Congress has already announced the Jan. 22 programme. We have to take on Shah not only on drugs but on several other issues.

"It is the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee programme that has been endorsed by Amarinder and I welcome it," Bajwa, a former Gurdaspur MP, said in a statement here.
His comments came hours after former Punjab chief minister Amarinder held a luncheon meeting which was a virtual show of strength in response to demands by Congress MLAs, ex-MLAs and other office bearers.
Bajwa was conspicuous by his absence at the luncheon meet at Amarinder's Moti Bagh Palace residence in Patiala, which came days after the latter met Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Delhi and was understood to have sought the removal of Congress's state unit chief.

In his statement today, Bajwa said he welcomes "the belated initiative taken by Amarinder, Congress's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha to confront the BJP chief by organising a counter anti-drug rally.

However, he insisted that the Congress programme would be held under the umbrella of PPCC and the modalities would be chalked out in consultation with the party high command after the Muktsar rally at Maghi on Jan. 14.
Bajwa, meanwhile, said the party would reiterate its demand for a CBI inquiry into drug smuggling in the state.
He also said Congress would question Shah on the issue of alleged forced conversions and on "the sword hanging on the Punjabi farmers of Gujarat who are facing the threat of being uprooted" while the Gujarat government is still to withdraw its special leave petition in Supreme Court in this regard.

He said the party would also try to corner BJP over the non-implementation of the 'one rank, one pension' decision which had been taken by the previous UPA government.