Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President Aman Arora on Monday questioned the internal factionalism within the Congress and the decisions of its high command, saying that the party had disregarded the sentiments of its workers in Punjab and installed a leadership based on compromises between different factions, leaving grassroots workers disappointed and disillusioned.
Addressing a press conference here, AAP Punjab President Aman Arora extended his best wishes to newly appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Pargat Singh on his own behalf and on behalf of the Aam Aadmi Party. Describing Pargat Singh as an international hockey player, Olympian, former police officer and three-time MLA, Aman Arora said that a person who had experience of leading a team on the sports field had now been entrusted with leading the Congress in Punjab. “Pargat Singh has led a team on the hockey field and has now been given the responsibility of leading the Congress in Punjab. I extend my best wishes to him. However, the developments following his appointment clearly reflect the internal instability within the Congress,” he said.
Referring to former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the AAP Punjab President said, “Amrinder Singh Raja Warring took charge of the Congress during a difficult period and worked with the party workers for four and a half years. But Sachin Pilot, who replaced Bhupesh Baghel as the Congress Punjab in-charge, decided to remove him during a visit to Punjab that lasted barely two hours.”
He said that such decisions affected the morale of leaders and workers who had worked for the party for years.
Aman Arora further said that four days had passed since Pargat Singh was appointed Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President, but Rahul Gandhi had not yet granted him an appointment. “Pargat Singh has met the family of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and senior Congress leader Ambika Soni as a courtesy. But when the newly appointed president of your own state unit is unable to get an appointment with the central leadership, it raises questions about the attitude of the Congress high command towards Punjab,” he said.
Speaking about representation from Sangrur and the Malwa region, Aman Arora said, “Although, Vijay Inder Singla belongs to the opposition, but the people of Sangrur and Malwa had hoped that someone from their region would be given the opportunity to lead the state unit. His name had been discussed for a long time, and overlooking him at the last moment amounted to a betrayal of the hopes of the people of Sangrur and Malwa.”
He said that a temporary compromise between two factions, intended merely to get through the next few months, could not provide a political party with a clear direction. “Instead of the enthusiasm that should have followed the appointment of a new state president, there is silence among Congress workers. Social media posts by the son of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and reports of Amrinder Singh Raja Warring travelling to London with his family show that the internal discord within the Congress is now becoming public,” he said.
Answering questions about unfortunate drug-related incidents and cases of suicide, Aman Arora said that the Punjab Government, led by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, had a clear and firm stand against drugs. “The government, police and people must work together to make Punjab drug-free. The fight against drugs cannot be won by the government alone. It requires the active participation of every section of society,” he said.
He said that approximately 15,000 Village Defence Committees and Ward Defence Committees were working against drugs at the grassroots level across Punjab. “Sarpanches and committee members are making an important contribution to this campaign by sharing information about drug-related activities with the police. Their role is extremely important because they are directly connected with the people at the grassroots level,” he said.
Aman Arora said that people actively working against drugs sometimes faced resistance and threats. “Those who are standing up against drugs at the village and ward level can sometimes face resistance and threats. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the morale of sarpanches and members of these committees and ensure that they receive the full support of the people,” he said.
Appealing to the people of Punjab to come forward to protect their villages and wards from drugs, Aman Arora urged them to cooperate with the police and the respective Village Defence Committees and Ward Defence Committees. “The Bhagwant Mann Government has chosen the path of rooting out drugs. The Chief Minister, ministers, MLAs, police, sarpanches and committee members are working together in this campaign. Only through public unity and active participation at the grassroots level can Punjab be freed from the scourge of drugs,” he said.