Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Saturday questioned newly appointed Congress Punjab President Pargat Singh over his political record, particularly his silence on drugs and ‘beadbi’ during the Akali Dal (Badal)-BJP government and his tenure as Punjab’s Education and Sports Minister.
Reacting to Pargat Singh’s appointment as the Punjab Congress president, senior AAP leader and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked him to explain why he did not raise his voice against the drug menace and incidents of ‘beadbi’ during the period when he was associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “Drugs and ‘beadbi’ were among the biggest political issues in Punjab during the Akali Dal (Badal)-BJP rule, yet Pargat Singh did not publicly raise his voice against either issue while he was part of the Akali Dal. The people of Punjab deserve to know why the new Congress president remained silent on matters that deeply affected the state.”
The senior AAP leader further stated, “Pargat Singh himself has said that there were two factions within the Congress on the issue of ‘beadbi’: one that wanted action against those responsible and another that, according to him, was protecting the Badals. Today, as the Congress president, Pargat Singh must tell Punjab which faction he is leading; the one that wanted justice in ‘beadbi’ cases or the one that was protecting the Badals.”
Turning to Pargat Singh’s tenure as Education Minister, Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “Pargat Singh, as Education Minister, had been urged to follow the proper legal procedure and route the recruitment of 1,158 Assistant Professors and Librarians through the Punjab Public Service Commission, but the process went ahead despite objections. The recruitment was subsequently set aside by the Supreme Court.”
The Cabinet Minister added, “The episode had caused serious uncertainty for the young people who had gone through the recruitment process. Why were established procedures not followed? Pargat Singh must answer for the decisions taken during his tenure in the Education Department.”
Harpal Singh Cheema further stated, “There is no doubt about Pargat Singh’s achievements as a hockey player and his contribution to Indian hockey, but his record as Sports Minister has to be judged separately. Despite his own experience of the requirements of sport and athletes, the sports budget under the previous government remained at around ₹147 crore.”
In contrast, the Finance Minister stated, “The Bhagwant Singh Mann government has substantially increased the allocation for sports, with ₹1,746 crore provided in the current budget. Thousands of sports grounds and stadiums have been developed or are being developed across Punjab, and the government’s sports initiatives, including ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan’, are creating greater opportunities for the state’s youth.”
Harpal Singh Cheema emphasised, “Your sporting achievements are respected, but experience alone cannot explain away the record of your tenure as Sports Minister. You know better than anyone how much investment sports and athletes require. Then why was such a small sports budget kept during your tenure?”
The senior AAP leader concluded, “Pargat Singh now holds the responsibility of leading the Punjab Congress and therefore cannot avoid questions about his own political and ministerial records. Punjab’s people would want clear answers on his silence during the SAD-BJP government, the 1,158-professor recruitment, his record as Education and Sports Minister, and his own remarks about the two factions within the Congress on the ‘beadbi’ issue.”
