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‘Shameful’: Punjab CM After Attack Over Jobs to Cong MLAs’ Sons

The Quint

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday, 19 June, said that he stood by the Cabinet’s decision on the jobs for the sons of two Congress MLAs, adding that it is “shameful” that some are trying to give the decision a political colour.

“No question of rescinding Punjab Cabinet decision on jobs for sons of two Congress MLAs. It is just a small token of gratitude and compensation for the sacrifices of their families. It's shameful that some people are giving political colour to this decision,” Singh said, as quoted by his media adviser Raveen Thukral.

The decision has not gone down well with the party itself and several Congress legislators, including Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and party MLAs Kuljit Nagra and Amrinder Singh Raja, have opposed the CM’s decision, news agency PTI reported.

Also Read: Sukhbir Badal Detained Outside Amarinder’s House During Protests

“I fail to see any reason for removing any officer in my government under political pressure. Each one of them is doing excellent work for the state, and I need them to continue helping my government fulfill all the pending promises we’d made to the people of Punjab,” the CM was quoted as saying in another tweet by Thukral.

Jobs to 2 MLAs’ Sons on ‘Compassionate Grounds’

A political storm kicked off within the Congress in the state over the decision to give jobs to Congress MLAs’ sons – Arjun Pratap Singh Bajwa as an inspector and Bhisham Pandey as naib tehsildar in the Revenue department – on “compassionate grounds”, as their grandfathers were murdered by terrorists.

Bajwa and Pandey are sons of Qadian MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and Ludhiana legislator Rakesh Pandey. Their grandfathers were shot dead by terrorists during Punjab militancy days was cited as the ground for compassion to make them gazetted, class B government servants.

Also Read: Year Ahead of Punjab Polls, Prashant Kishor Joins Amarinder’s Team

After the Cabinet’s decision, along with Opposition parties, Congress MLA Kuljit Nagra has asked the government to roll back the decision. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday, 19 June, also asked the CM to immediately rescind the “ill-advised move” in “greater public interest”.

“Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh must reverse the ill-advised decision... The decision is also against the ethos and culture of neutrality followed by Amarinder Singh and the Congress party as a whole,” Jakhar said, as quoted by PTI.

Five ministers – Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Razia Sultana, Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhbinder Sarkaria – had also opposed the decision in a Cabinet meeting on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has urged the Governor VP Singh Badnore to take suo motu notice of the manner in which the CM was allegedly “purchasing” the loyalty of legislators.

Punjab polls are slated to be held in 2022, and Singh has been holding meetings with the party MLAs and MPs to brush off rifts in the party.

Also Read: Punjab CM Holds ‘Secret Meeting’ With Critic Partap Bajwa: Reports

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