Round 1 to Cong: Party airs Majithia expletives

In a major show of one-upmanship, the Opposition Congress on Sunday played a video CD showing Punjab Pubic Relations Minister mouthing expletives at a Congress leader in the Assembly during the recently concluded winter session.

The minute-long video was played thrice on two LCD screen TVs at its conference venue during the ongoing Maghi Mela. It was aired twice before state Congress chief Amarinder Singh arrived, and once just before he addressed the party workers.

Incidentally, Assembly Speaker Charanjeet Singh Atwal had earlier said that the "objectionable matter" had been expunged from the proceedings of the House and hence can no longer be aired anywhere else.

However, the CLP leader, Sunil Jakhar, refused to follow the order saying that when the Speaker himself had "not heard the objectionable matter in the House" then how can he expunge it later on. Even the Muktsar district administration was earlier told was told ensure that the TVs were not installed at the venue. The Congress leaders got the TVs installed early on Sunday. The ADC, Narinder Singh Bath, who visited the venue, had asked the organisers to remove the TVs —- another diktat that the Congress refused to follow.

Meanwhile, taking on the ruling alliance, Amarinder said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself was walking on the wrong path because of which Majithia and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal were following in his foot steps. "Majithia's whole family served the Congress and made lots of sacrifices. He is the only "gem" in the entire family that is defacing them," he said, adding that the law and order has broken down in the state.

"The state is heading towards financial emergency. Under these circumstances the President;s rule cannot be ruled out," said Amarinder.

Amarinder announced that he will camp in Moga (the bypoll to the seat is scheduled for February 23) "so as to make the Akalis run from this constituency".

... contd.

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