From News Dispaches
NEW DELHI: The factional fight in the Punjab Congress (I) has sharpened with the dissidents launching a major offensive against the Pradesh Congress (I) President Beant Singh.
A delegation of 36 party leaders mostly former M.L.A.s met the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi recently and urged him to remove Beant Singh since he has failed to mobilize public opinion against antinational and secessionist elements.” They also demanded an Overhaul of the State unit of the Party.
The deputation included B.B. Mehra a former Speaker of the Punjab Assembly; Bir Devinder Singh, a former Chief Whip of the Legislature Congress (I) Party and several leaders belonging to the Darbara Singh faction.
Besides the deputation some other Congress (I) leaders from Gurdaspur district including Avtar Singh Bhagowalia Kushal Behl and Sushil Mahajan also met Gandhi
separately and demanded a change in the Punjab Congress (I) leadership.
Party leaders from other districts are meeting members of the high command to mount an offensive against the PCC (I) office-bearers,
The dissidents are demanding a complete overhaul of the PCC (I) on the plea that the party has failed to mobilize public opinion against militants to isolate them. The present party leadership in the State also failed to take political advantage of the desecration of the Golden Temple by militants which came to light during Operation Black Thunder.
Although the dissidents are tight lipped about their talks with Gandhi, it is reliably learnt that the deputationists told Gandhi that the Punjab Congress (I) had become inactive and ineffective. During the past over three years Beant Singh could not exploit the rift in the Akali ranks as well as militant groups.
The PCC (I) failed to win over the Sikh masses fed up with militants .
The deputations felt that the Sikhs were not with the Akalis and they could be won over with “sincere efforts.”
The deputationists reportedly showed a research paper to Gandhi on the Jat Sikhs in three constituencies Sirhind, Payal and Amloh. The researcher Miss Pettigri Joycee of the UK said in the paper that some Congress (I) leaders were involved in criminal cases.
It was argued that when the detained Akali leaders were released they would launch an offensive against the Congress (I). The present State Congress (I) leadership would not be able to face such an offensive.
The PCC (1) had passed a resolution criticizing the high command for its failure to solve the Punjab problem. This showed disloyalty the deputationists conte.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 16, 1989
