At a time when the Congress is perhaps facing its toughest electoral challenge and senior leaders are opting out of the race one by one, the party has at least succeeded in fielding tough candidates in two Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjab. Anita Katyal reports.
The opposition party's attack came after Shashi Tharoor, not part of the four leaders nominated by the Congress, was named as the head of a delegation to key partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism following Operation Sindoor.
Sidhu, who returned from Pakistan on Sunday, was the only Indian, who attended Khan's swearing-in ceremony.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi has died of gunshot injuries, with police saying on Saturday it could be a case of 'accidental fire' from his own licensed pistol.
He alleged that the Punjab government was using all possible means to implicate him in the multi-crore Ludhiana City Centre scam case.
Protesters led by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal were shouting slogans against the Congress-led government over several issues including irregularities in the purchase of Fateh kits and alleged diversion of COVID-19 vaccine doses to private hospitals.
He said he visited the holy place following requests from people there, including Ujjal Dosanjh, the Health Minister of Canada.
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, a minister in the outgoing cabinet of Amarinder Singh whose name is doing the rounds among the probables to be the new leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Punjab, on Sunday asserted that he has never hankered after posts.
Ahead of the Punjab assembly polls, former Army chief Gen Joginder Jaswant Singh on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Chandigarh in the presence of the party leadership, including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday once again trained his guns on former state chief minister Amarinder Singh, calling him a 'fraud,' 'coward' and a 'crybaby.'
Expressing concern over the COVID-19 situation, the chief minister urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to widen the vaccination ambit to cover those younger than 60 as the mutant has been found to be infecting young people more, an official statement quoting him said.
Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Amarinder Singh took a dig at BJP nominee Arun Jaitley for his 'majboor' (helpless)-and-'mazboot' (strong)- leader remarks, saying strong leaders "do not go begging for constituencies to secure their secret prime ministerial ambitions".
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, a minister in the outgoing cabinet of Amarinder Singh, is likely to be the state's new chief minister, Congress sources said on Sunday.
Barring 2004 and 2009 when Navjot Singh Sidhu won the Amritsar seat as a BJP MP and 1998 when Daya Singh Sodhi from BJP was elected as the MP, it has essentially a Congress bastion.
The bureau sleuths arrested two officials of the Infrastructure Professional Enterprises -- Kamal Kumar Verma and Amit Sardana -- whose services were hired by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust during the previous Congress regime in the state
The scion of erstwhile Patiala Royal family refused to comment on the number of ministers who will be part of the new cabinet.
Singh's described Kejriwal's act as "theatrics" as the Delhi government had given approval to the "black farm laws" by notifying one of them last month, adding that the Aam Aadmi Party leader was indulging in "petty politics" now.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he cannot restore the river water-sharing pact with three neighbouring states that was scrapped by a unanimous vote in the state assembly earlier this week.\n\n
The invitation from the chief minister for lunch at Punjab Bhavan made it an occasion to cherish and feel at home, said many students.
"We believe in peace and we are giving a message of peace from here. But, their generals should understand that we have a large Army and we are prepared..."
In a reprieve for former chief minister Amarinder Singh, facing graft charges, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday extended his interim bail till October one in connection with the Ludhiana city centre scam, a day after he left for the United Kingdom to undergo medical treatment.
Amarinder Singh told mediapersons that both Kovind and Modi had accepted the Punjab government's invitation to be part of the historic celebrations and that the modalities of their visits would be chalked out after the Kartarpur Corridor opening programme was finalised with Pakistan.
The "silence" of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the attack on Lieutenant General (retired) Kuldeep Singh Brar is "seditious", Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh alleged on Wednesday. It is shocking that the chief minister has preferred to keep quiet on such a critical issue that is directly related to Punjab, he said.
Singh will meet President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. He will also visit 'Nankana Sahib', near Lahore, the birthplace of Guru Nanak.
During the hearing lasting four hours, the Congress leader's counsel said that the case, relating to a land deal in Amritsar in which Singh had been indicted by the committee, is sub-judice as the land exemption had already been challenged in the high court.
A resolution to this effect was passed unanimously in a meeting of the CLP in Chandigarh.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday agreed to set up a 10-member strategic policy group to ensure better coordination between the party and the state government and expedite implementation of various government programmes.
When asked if he would be the CM candidate, Amarinder said, "I don't know, that is Congress president's decision."
The new faces in the Channi ministry are Randeep Singh Nabha, Raj Kumar Verka, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Pargat Singh, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli.
Singh had said that he and his government were willing to mediate in the talks between the Centre and the farmers in the collective interest of all.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday termed the lathicharge on farmers in Haryana's Karnal a "government-sponsored attack" and said such a "vicious assault" was not only unacceptable but outright condemnable.
"Unfortunately, the seniors were being completely sidelined," he said in a statement.
Although assembly election are 16 months away, it makes sense to let his party know he's very much in the running for the job he's currently holding.
Embattled former chief minister Amarinder Singh moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday, challenging his expulsion from the state Assembly.
The veteran Congress leader said the NDA's success was attributable to the absence of a strong and united Opposition.
Donning a flowing white chola' and a navy blue turban and often escorted by armed supporters, radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh has been quite active in Punjab for some time.
The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Punjab government on a petition filed by former chief minister Amarinder Singh challenging his expulsion from the state assembly. The apex court also issued a notice to Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal in his personal capacity.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several central ministers and chief ministers and leaders cutting across party lines condoled the demise of former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday and hailed his immense contributions to the state as well as the country.
Amarinder, who is also former Punjab Chief Minister, has sent his resignation to the Lok Sabha Speaker, copy of which was released to the media here, and has also sought a personal meeting with the Speaker next week.
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