AMRITSAR: Congressmen belonging to Amritsar district including three ministers, Sept. 9 took strong exception to the utterances of former Union Minister Buta Singh and their cabinet colleague Maninderjit Singh Bitta, who is also president of the All India Youth Congress. In a press conference convened here at the Circuit House, the three ministers Sardul Singh, Gurmej Singh and Parminder Singh, chairman of Forest Corporation Ranjit Singh and former Member of Parliament Surinder Singh Kairon demanded that the high command take disciplinary action against Buta Singh and Bitta who were working against the interests of the Congress. Former mayor O.P. Soni was also present.

This is for the first time that Congress leaders from Amritsar district have collectively made Bittar their target. Kairon without naming Bitta, alleged that a senior youth leader should re strain himself from issuing irresponsible statements to the Press. He said that Bitta had demanded that the President’s rule be imposed in the state which to tally was uncalled for as the people of the state favored popular rule. Kairon said that Buta Singh had no right to interfere in Punjab Congress politics. He said that Buta Singh was issuing statements from Delhi to show people there that he was an acceptable leader in Punjab.

Minister for Jails and Justice Sardul Singh said that it was high time all Connunited and supported Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar. He said” that at present there was no other leader in the state who could pride stable leaders to the party. Parminder Singh Sandhu, another minister, said that Buta Singh had never stood by the people of Punjab. He said the party high command should take strict action against him and other who were working at cross purposes. Gurmej Singh, yet another minister in the Brar cabinet said that he never considered Buta Singh to be a Congress leader. He said that Buta Singh had his roots in the Akali Dal. Interestingly, Gurmej Singh is considered close to Buta Singh.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 11, 1996