Punjab ministers demand expulsion of Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo from Congress

CHANDIGARH: Two days after state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar sought strict action against party MPs Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, the ‘entire’ Punjab cabinet on Thursday also pitched for the duo’s immediate expulsion for their `anti-party and anti-government’ activities, which they termed as gross indiscipline, said a joint statement.
The actions of the two Rajya Sabha MPs ‘call for immediate and strict action’ against them by the party high command, said the cabinet ministers, seeking the dismissal of Bajwa and Dullo for attacking their own Congress government in the state over the hooch tragedy.
The ministers, in the statement, called for the whip to be immediately cracked on the two MPs, without any laxity or delay. Indiscipline could not be tolerated at any time, least of all when Assembly elections in the state are less than two years way, they said, pointing to the MPs’ repeated attacks on the state government, including chief minister Amarinder Singh.
Questioning their decision to raise concerns on the hooch tragedy, the ministers said the two MPs had never, in their Rajya Sabha term, bothered to raise any issue of the interest of the state they represent. “Why did they not press for the completion of the ED probe into the drugs issue during the Akali regime? Why did they not protest in the House against the anti-farm Ordinances of the Union Government? Why did they never speak about the CBI’s failure to probe the sacrilege cases?” the ministers asked.
The ministers said that by bypassing all party and government forums to protest against the government handling of the hooch tragedy and to approach the Governor for CBI and ED inquiries into the case, the two MPs had not only attacked the very basis of democratic governance but had sought to undermine the Punjab Police force.
“This is not the way democratic systems and institutions are meant to function,” said the ministers, pointing out that a CBI probe was needed only if the police failed to deliver, which was definitely not the case at present.
Moreover, the decision on recommending or not recommending a CBI probe rests with the state government, and not with two MPs. They accused them of being ‘unable to even represent the interests of Punjab properly’ in Parliament.
The ministers said, "Instead of doing their job as MPs, both Bajwa and Dullo seem intent on destabilising their own government, either out of their own greed for power or at the bidding of those who want to destabilise the Congress in Punjab, the ministers pointed out".
"In either case, the duo had rendered themselves useless, and of no value to the party, and needed to be shunted out without delay," they added.
The ministers further added, “What was even more unacceptable was the fact that instead of feeling even remotely apologetic, these MPs continue to be on the offensive, going so far as to launch a personal attack on PPCC president Sunil Jakhar.”