Punjab Cong crisis: Harish Rawat conveys party leaders' 'resentment' to CM

AICC general secretary Harish Rawat Wednesday conveyed the "resentment" of party's dissenting leaders to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and said it is his "duty" to address them.

Rawat, who is the party's Punjab affairs in-charge, met Singh at his residence at Siswan in Mohali and held a discussion on various issues including an 18-point programme given by the party high command.

The meeting came a day after Rawat called on Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu who was learnt to have conveyed his "displeasure" on unfulfilled promises.

Rawat arrived in Chandigarh Tuesday amid the ongoing tussle between the camps of Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Addressing the media after meeting the Punjab CM, Rawat expressed confidence that all the party leaders would work unitedly.

Asked if he will apprise Congress president Sonia Gandhi about discussion with the CM, he said, "I am her face here and will report to her."

To a question on how resentment among leaders including four ministers will be addressed, Rawat said, "I have apprised the CM of the aspects of resentment and it is the CM's duty to address the same."

His visit comes days after the party's state unit plunged into another crisis after four ministers, belonging to the Sidhu camp, and a dozen party leaders raised a banner of revolt against the chief minister over the issue of unfulfilled poll promises including a delay in justice in desecration of a religious text in 2015, arrest of "big fish" involved in drug rackets and scrapping power purchase agreements.

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi and three party legislators, who wanted Amarinder Singh to be replaced, had gone to Dehradun to meet Rawat on August 25.

Early in the day, several MLAs met Rawat.

Talking to the media, MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra, who was among leaders who met Rawat in Dehradun, said he told the former CM of Uttarakhand that the prevailing situation was damaging the party and sought the intervention of Sonia Gandhi and leader Rahul Gandhi.

He said they wanted issues connected with the sentiments of people such as power, sacrilege and poll promises addressed.

He said they should move ahead by ending infighting in the state unit to win the 2022 assembly polls.

Former IPS officer Mohammad Mustafa, who had been appointed principal strategic advisor to the Punjab Congress chief, also met Rawat and said he gave suggestions for resolving the issues within the state unit.