Ludhiana, August 6
‘Harr booth, Congress Mazboot’ programme today got an overwhelming response in Ludhiana with thousands of party workers in attendance in the jam-packed Guru Nanak Bhawan here today. Despite some attempts to disrupt it, the progamme went off well for about two hours. Senior party leaders including AICC general secretary in charge Bhupesh Baghel and the PCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring addressed the workers amdist slogans of Congress Zindabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Baghel made it categorically clear that indiscipline had no place in the party. There will be zero tolerance towards indiscipline, he said, while adding, those who had tried to disrupt the party programmes will be identified and action will be taken against them. Nobody will be spared, he asserted.
The former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that while the Congress’ external enemies are visible and identified, those inside working as “sleeper cells” and “internal saboteurs” will need to be exposed and thrown out. He pointed out, it was not anybody’s personal programme but that of the Congress party and was being done on the instructions of the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Ledaer of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
Baghel expressed confidence over the massive response the Congress programmes have been getting across Punjab. He said, the writing is on the wall and the Congress is coming back. The Congress general secretary criticized the AAP government and the Chief Minister for failing Punjab and the Punjabis. He said, nobody was feeling safe in Punjab today. He said, Bhagwant Mann was not elected Chief Minister for narrating jokes, but to provide safety and security of life and property of the people on which he had badly failed.
Speaking on the occasion, the Warring, who is also the Ludhiana MP, took on his detractors and those who tried to disrupt today’s prgoramme. Without naming those who tried to disrupt today’s programme, he said, he had personally helped some of them when they were hounded by the vigilance bureau. He said, one of the protestors was specially brought out of the vigilance bureau’s custody and still he was raising slogans against him today.
At the same time, Warring said, the Congress is not the personal fortress of any particular leader. He said, it is not also any monopoly of any one leader and belongs to everyone. Responding to the suggestion that Warring should fight against Sukhbir Badal, he (Warring) said, what is the point in fighting against someone who is already down and out. “IF you have to make me fight against anyone, make me fight against Bhagwant Mann”, he asserted amidst a lot of cheers and applause from the audience. Those present included Ravinder Dalvi, Sanjay Talwar, Pawan Dewan, Surinder Dawer, Rakesh Pandey, Simarjit Singh Bains, Balwinder Singh Bains and others.
Meanwhile, addressing the ‘Harr booth, Congress Mazboot’ programme of the Ludhiana Rural district here today, Baghel said that the Aam Aadmi Party has completely failed and people want to get rid of it as soon as they can. He said, neither the Akalis nor the BJP are in a position to form the government.
Baghel said, people have realized that only the Congres can provide a stable government which will ensure safety and security and progress of the state. “It is the issue of Punjab and Punjabiyat that is at stake in which the AAP has badly failed”, pointing out how the law and order has completely collapsed and people are getting killed mercilessly.
Underlining the importance of the grassroots and the booth level workers, he said, at the important and critical time of elections, it is these workers at the booths who are the defenders of the party. He said, once the booth level workers are empowered and strong, the party will automatically be strong.
Baghel said, he has been reaching out to all the leaders and workers so that everyone joins the big battle to save Punjab from the AAP and others. “This is not any individual’s fight, but that of the entire Congress party” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, the PCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring assured the party’s rank and file that all the leaders of the party will soon be together. He said, there are always differences within a family which can and will be sorted out very soon.
Taking a dig at his detractors, he said, without taking any names, one of them had first got elected as an independent, then joined the Akali Dal, then come to the Congress, tried to join the BJP and then came back to the Congress and was now seeking his removal. He said, another leader who was seeking his removal was with the BJP when he fought the parliament elections.
At the same time, Warring said, he respected each and every leader of the party and also the decision of the party leadership including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
Recalling his tenure as the transport minister, he said, he had stopped the illegally plying buses of the Badals. He said, nobody had dared before or after him to stop Badals’ buses. “I dare Bhagwant Mann to stop one single illegally plying bus of the Badals”, he challenged the Chief Minister.
Earlier, the PCC general secretary in charge organization Capt Sandeep Sandhu welcomed all the leaders and workers to the programme and thanked them for the overwhelming participation.
Among those present included Ravinder Dalvi, Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Razia Sultana, Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Vikram Bajwa, Kamil Amar Singh, Dr Amar Singh, Jagtar Issowal, Simarjit Singh Bains, Sanjay Talwar, Pawan Dewan and others.