Senior Cong leaders fail to rally behind the jailed Dimpa

Baba Bakala, Amritsar, Aug 28 (UNI) Senior Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh who has been harping on the 'political vendetta tune' ever since he was dislodged from the seat of power by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP combine, failed to turn up at the party's public rally in this historical town of Amritsar district.

The presence of Capt Singh, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Shamsher Singh Dullo, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and others would have definately given the much needed support to the family members and supporters of former local MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa, who is behind the bars for the last two months following his implication in a murder case. Dimpa, then an MLA from Beas, along with his brother and 10 others were booked after a clash during the February assembly election campaign in which a SAD supporter was killed.

Capt Singh, Mr Dullo and Mrs Bhattal had all come out in support of Dimpa after the case was registered against him on the orders of the Election Commission of India. Dimpa who was the Congress candidate had lost the assembly polls to his arch rival Manjinder Singh Kang of SAD.

Capt Singh was at the forefront accusing the SAD-BJP of indulging in 'political vendetta' against opponents. He had charged the Punjab government of torturing Dimpa in police custody and had talked about launching a public movement against the repressive measures of the SAD-BJP government.

In the absence of Capt Singh and others, the public rally held today on the occasion of 'Rakhar Purnima' lost much of its importance and sheen. Though Raninder Singh, son of Capt Singh was present in the rally but he failed to boost the morale of the local Congress workers and supporters of Dimpa.

Besides Raninder, the others who addressed the rally included MLAs Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Sukh Sarkaria and Rana Sodhi, besides former minister Sardool Singh and a few others. Even prominent Congress leaders of the Majha belt including MLA Partap Bajwa, Ashwani Sekri and Gurchet Singh Bhullar did not attend the rally.

This rally which is an annual affair was quite in contrast to the function held here last year, when Capt Singh, who was then the state Chief Minister alongwith almost all his ministerial colleagues were present. Mr Khaira and the others who addressed the rally called upon Congressmen to fight against the political vendetta unleashed by the SAD-BJP government.

UNI