Capt Amarinder continues to bat for Sonia, says never opposed Rahul’s elevation

Never opposed Rahul’s elevation, he is visiting Punjab after I sent him SMS on Monday about procurement problem in state. (Source: Express Archive)

On a day Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi paid a surprise visit to Punjab to get first-hand knowledge of wheat procurement problem in the state, Deputy leader in Lok Sabha and Amritsar Member of Parliament Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday re-iterated that Sonia Gandhi was best suited to continue as Congress president in the prevailing political scenario in the country.

Capt Amarinder , however, added that he never opposed to Rahul’s elevation as Congress President. He claimed that he had yesterday sent an SMS to Rahul Gandhi briefing him about the procurement problem and had suggested him to visit Punjab.

However, while Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa after learning about the surprise visit of Rahul cancelled his scheduled visit to Amritsar grain market today and raced to see Rahul, Capt said he might try to meet Rahul tomorrow morning in case Rahul was not leaving early.

Capt Amarinder said he had conveyed that he will not be able to join Rahul today due to his (Capt’s) schedule in Amritsar. Capt was in Amritsar to visit a grain market and to attend annual convocation of DAV college, besides his other engagements.

“I have worked with Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) for 16 years. She has great vision for the country. She has a great image in the country,” Amarinder told reporters in Amritsar, while pointing out that Sonia lost her husband (Rajiv Gandhi) and mother-in-law (Indira Gandhi) who both were assassinated. Capt also invoked Sonia’s “supreme sacrifice” of rejecting the “Prime Ministership”.

Capt Amarinder said Sonia due to her personality was the “most projectable face” of Congress party. He asserted that politics these days was not about ideologies, but about personalities. He attributed the victories of NDA at centre and AAP in Delhi to the personalities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwal.

Capt Amarinder, meanwhile, maintained that nowhere in TV or print media he had ever opposed elevation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president. His bete noire within the party, PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa is strongly supporting Rahul’s elevation to top post in the party.

Capt Amarinder said he had sent an SMS to Rahul Gandhi briefing him about the procurement problem and subsequent threat of law and order problem in the state. Capt said he had suggested that Rahul should visit some grain market in Amritsar. He added that Rahul had acknowledged the SMS by thanking him for the inputs.

“I am very happy that Rahul is visiting Punjab. It will boost the morale of Punjabis and Congress party workers,” Capt Amarinder said.

Source:: Indian Express