The Crisis in Punjab Congress is far from over. In the latest development, just hours before the swearing-in ceremony, a section of Congress MLAs from Doaba region and opposition leaders have opened revolt against Congress government for selecting ‘tainted’ leaders in the Cabinet.
As many as six Congress MLAs from Punjab’s Doaba region along with senior leader Mohinder Singh KP have reportedly opposed Rana Gurjit Singh’s induction into the cabinet.
They have written a letter to PPCC Chief Navjot Sidhu condemning their own government’s move of selecting Rana Gurjit as his name surfaced in an alleged sand mining case in 2017 and he was forced to resign as Cabinet Minister then.
In the letter, the MLAs said, "Rana Gurjit’s induction into the cabinet will affect the party's poll prospects as there is huge resentment amongst the public and the congress cadre due to his alleged involvement in the infamous mining scandal".
Besides, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Admi Party (AAP) too trained guns at Punjab CM Charanjit Channi and Congress High Command over their decision to induct Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli in the Cabinet.
As per information, Raja Warring was accused of abetting suicide of contractor Karan Kataria who killed his two children before shooting himself in Faridkot, whereas Gurkirat Singh Kotli was accused of raping and molesting a French tourist who had visited Punjab in 1994.
Moreover, the AAP on Saturday threatened to launch a state-wide protest against the Congress government if ‘tainted leaders’ were inducted into the cabinet.
The Leader of Opposition (LoP), Harpal Singh Cheema, said that Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Rana Gurjit Singh have faced allegations of corruption in the past and now they are being made ministers in the new government.
Also Read: Last-minute hitch for Punjab Congress, 6 MLAs, Mohinder KP oppose Rana Gurjit’s induction
Both AAP and SAD accused the Congress government for failing to keep its promises in the past 4.5 years. They further said that by selecting tainted leaders in the new cabinet, the Congress has proved it has nothing to do with what people of Punjab think or want.