CHANDIGARH: After a brief hull, the war of nerves between the Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh, who is also the PCC chief, and the President of the Indian Youth Congress, Maninderjit Singh Bitta, has begun to heat up again. In an announcement, Ahmed Patel, General Secretary of the AICC, asked the Chief Minister to remove Ramesh Singhla, MLA, from the funeral secretary ship of tie Punjab PCC. Singla was appointed General Secretary of the PCC by Beant Singh last year after Singla fell outwit his erstwhile mentor, Bitta.
Singla was publicly removed from the presidentship of the Punjab Youth Congress by Bitla and replaced by Bhupesh Sharma. But Beant Singh fost no Ume in appointing Singla as General Secretary of the party, thereby sending a clear signal to Bitts that it washe who called the shots in Punjab.
Patel’s communication to the Chief Minister, which was released to the Press, said that Singla had been appointed General Secretary of the PCC ‘without the approval of the AICC.” The communication directed the Chief Minister that Singla may be relieved of the charge of the frontal organizations,” It further said that Singla may be asked not to make any announcement relating to the frontal organizations. Papers relating to his appointment may be sent to the AICC immediately.” Patel’ sleticr to Beant Singh has come within a couple of days of an announcement by Singhla, who claimed to be in charge of the youth affairs of the PCC; dissolving all the district units of the Youth Congress in Punjab appointed by Bitta, Only a few weeks ago, Singla organized a meeting of the Youth Congress activists in Punjab Congress Bhavan here and leveled a Series of charges against Bitia and demanded a CBI probe into his asset He also declared that the PCC did not recognize Sharma as President of the Punjab Youth Congress.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 11, 1995
