Amarinder Singh | Business Upturn

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh engages in crucial talks with PM Modi on farmer issues

Gowri Jagadish — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 10:53:04 +0000

The former Chief Minister of Punjab and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amarinder Singh, stated that he recently discussed several Punjab-related issues, particularly those affecting the farming sector, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In light of the farmers’ continued protests, this is an important development.

Farmers, who have been strongly against the new agricultural laws, recently rejected the Central government’s proposal regarding the procurement of pulses, maize, and cotton at Minimum Support Prices (MSP) by government agencies for five years. The rejection emphasises the long-standing concerns and dissatisfaction of the farming community with the current policy.

One of the main points of disagreement between the farmers and the government has been the desire for a legislative guarantee for the MSP regime, which is central to the farmers’ demands. Protesters continue to demonstrate emphasising how crucial it is to make MSP a legally protected right so that they can pursue their farming endeavours with confidence and security.

Strong will and tenacity have characterised the ongoing demonstrations, which have been led mostly by Punjabi farmers. The farmers have faced difficulties and poor weather, but they have not wavered in their resolve to voice their grievances and demand action from the government.

It is evident from the farmers’ rejection of the government’s proposal and their persistent calls for a legislative guarantee for MSP that the agricultural changes are complicated and that all parties involved must have a thorough discussion. A variety of Punjab-related subjects were probably covered in the discussion between Amarinder Singh and Prime Minister Modi, reflecting the state’s complex problems.

Former Punjab CM slams PM Trudeau: “Handed him list of 9 terrorists but…”

Sidharth Badlani — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 14:33:48 +0000

India-Canada Captain Amarinder Singh, a former chief minister of Punjab, criticised Justin Trudeau for blaming India for the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Captain Amarinder Singh discussed how he gave Justin Trudeau a list of nine terrorists during the Canadian PM’s 2018 visit to India in an opinion article that was published in the publication TheIndianExpress (behind a paywall). However, Trudeau chose to ignore the list.

The list contained the names of nine A-category terrorists, according to the former Chief Minister, and he demanded that something be done about them.

“When I met Trudeau as Chief Minister of Punjab on behalf of the Government of India in February 2018 at Amritsar, I handed over a list of nine A-category terrorists to him for action,” he wrote. “But the Canadian government chose to ignore the list completely.”

The Canadian Prime Minister’s accusations, according to Amarinder Singh, are not surprising because “he plays to the extremist gallery.” It was a “classic case of the pot calling the kettle black,” he said, adding that Canada was home to anti-Indian groups.

The former chief minister criticised the Canadian government’s response to the attack on Hindu and Indian consulates in that country. He rejected the justification of “freedom of expression” offered by the Canadian government for subversive actions.

JP Nadda and Amarinder Singh meet in Delhi before to today’s merger of the Punjab Lok Congress and the BJP

Aryan Jakhar — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 08:35:57 +0000

Prior to the PLC-BJP merger today, Captain Amarinder Singh, the former chief minister and president of the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), met JP Nadda, the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on September 19.

Along with former Congress MLAs and other politicians who joined the PLC, Amarinder Singh, who left the Congress party, plans to combine his newly created party with the BJP. After his meeting with JP Nadda, Singh is anticipated to meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Then, in front of Nadda, the former chief minister of Punjab would combine his party with the BJP. Later, in a different Chandigarh event next week, more PLC office holders including district presidents will join the saffron party.

Notably, Amarinder Singh established PLC last year following his abrupt resignation as chief minister and his departure from the Congress. Singh met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi after his recent return from spinal surgery in London.

BJP-PLC merger

Notably, Singh allegedly had a fruitful chat with Amit Shah on a number of subjects, including national security, the rise in narco-terrorism in Punjab, and the future course of the state’s holistic development, during his recent meeting with the Union Home Minister on September 12. Prior to departing for London, Amarinder Singh reportedly expressed his wish to combine his party with the BJP, according to senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal.

The twice-resigned chief minister is a descendant of the former Patiala royal house. Last year, he left the Congress, and Charanjit Singh Channi took his place. Notably, months after Captain left Congress, Channi lost both of the seats he ran for in the February Assembly elections.

Captain Amarinder Singh congratulated Sunil Jakhar on joining BJP today

Aryan Jakhar — Thu, 19 May 2022 14:50:43 +0000

Former Punjab Chief Minister and former Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday praised Sunil Jakhar, who joined BJP. Jakhar was the State Congress Chief when Amarinder was heading the Congress government in Punjab. Moreover, according to sources Jakhar, who has joined BJP, may be given important responsibility in the Rajya Sabha seat. And in the state of Punjab where both Congress and BJP have to face a crushing defeat in the assembly elections at the hands of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party.

Amarinder, who quit the Congress to form his party Punjab Lok Congress after serious differences with the Navjot Singh Sidhu-led faction, tweeted. “Right person, right party. Congratulations Sunil Jakhar on joining BJP. Honest and true like him. The leader can no longer breathe in the Congress.” Amarinder had aligned his party with the BJP in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

Right man in the right party.
Congratulations to @sunilkjakhar for joining @BJP4India

Honest and upright leaders like him cannot breathe in the @INCIndia anymore.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) May 19, 2022

Jakhar became critical of Congress after Charanjit Singh Channi was elected as the CM of Punjab in place of Amarinder Singh. Jakhar was also considered a contender for this post. Later he also had to lose the state Congress chief’s post to Navjot Sidhu. Hence, he quit the Congress on May 14. After the party leadership served him a show-cause notice in the Charanjit Singh Channi criticism case. The party’s disciplinary committee had recommended suspension of him from all posts for two years and removal from all posts.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh resigns months ahead of assembly elections in the state

News Desk — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 11:36:27 +0000

On September 18, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder submitted his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit. His exit comes months before the assembly elections in the state, with a majority of MLAs within the ruling Congress reportedly seeking his ouster.

“CM Captain Amarinder Singh has met the Punjab Governor and submitted his and his council of ministers’ resignation. He will address the media at the Raj Bhavan gate in a few minutes from now,” stated Raveen Thukral, media advisor to the Punjab CM.

Singh, whilst addressing the clicking following his resignation, stated he has felt “humiliated” in the way in which the party has handled the political situation in Punjab. Singh added that he has decided to step down as doubts have been being raised about his leadership.

“I was humiliated for the third time in the past few months,” he stated, including that it is up to the party on who should be appointed as the next chief minister.

The exit of Amarinder Singh comes 4 years after he secured the Congress a convincing victory in the last assembly polls in Punjab. The party presently has eighty MLAs withinside the 117-member House. A legislator from Patiala, Singh has served as chief minister of Punjab previously from 2002 to 2007.

He has additionally been the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee on multiple occasions. At 79, Singh became the oldest chief minister earlier than his resignation today. His electoral profession dates back to 1980, whilst he received a seat in the Lok Sabha for the first time. He became elected from his own circle of relatives bastion of Patiala.

In Punjab, where the intra-Congress crisis has been brewing over the last few months, matters took an explosive flip after it was reported, bringing up sources, that the party management had requested Singh to surrender and pave way for the appointment of a new leader minister. Sources claimed that the Congress excessive command in Delhi decided an alternate of guard considering Singh’s diminishing popularity.

Singh’s age, 79, was not on his side as well. Congress’ interim president Sonia Gandhi, the sources said, spoke with the chief minister and requested him to surrender gracefully hours before an assembly of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) scheduled in the evening on September 18.

Singh reportedly called a meeting of MLAs in advance during the day and is learnt to have obtained the support of the most effective 15 of the party’s 80 MLAs in Punjab. Former Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, who was once taken into consideration a close confidante of Amarinder Singh, is among the names being taken into consideration for the pinnacle post, according to the sources.

Senior Congress chief Ambika Sonia is likewise doing rounds as Singh’s replacement. The MLAs alleged that the chief minister had carried out nothing to fulfil the 18-point programme issued by the party excessive command.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been the maximum vocal critic of the chief minister, was named the state party chief in July however, he keeps to queer the pitch, fancying his possibilities to come to be the CM candidate.

Prashant Kishor resigns as political strategist to Punjab CM

Aayushi Singh — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 05:39:41 +0000

Prashant Kishor has requested Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab CM, to relieve him from the responsibilities of their Principal Advisor. He said that he made the decision to take a temporary break from an active role in public life and has not been to take over the responsibilities as their Principal Advisor.

The poll strategist, Prashant Kishor, has resigned as Principal Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, where he cited in a letter that he had decided to take a temporary break from an active role in the public interest.

However, Kishor, in his letter to the Punjab CM, has said that he is yet decided on his next step.

In the letter, Kishor mentioned that he was yet to decide on his future course of action and that he requests Captain to relieve him of the responsibility as the Principal Advisor.

Amarinder Singh had appointed Kishor in March 2021, and the Chief Minister’s Office has also accorded Prashant Kishor with the rank and status of a cabinet minister and they were also prepared to provide him with government job benefits such as an official residence, telephone facilities, free of cost transportation, and etc.

Prashant Kishor is an Indian Political Strategist and Tactician. He had been employed under Janata Dal in September 2018, as the political strategist and tactician. However, he was later suspended from the party on January 29, 2020, due to his criticism of Nitish Kumar, the party head’s supportive stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Navjot Singh Sidhu reaches out to Congress ministers, ahead of his possible elevation

Bhaswati Sengupta — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 15:08:52 +0000

On Saturday, cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu drove to Chandigarh from his Patiala residence to meet with a cross section of cabinet ministers and MLAs together with the ones who are considered to be loyalists of chief minister Amarinder Singh.

The formal announcement regarding the expected elevation of Navjot Singh Sidhu as Punjab Congress chief is yet awaited.

Meanwhile, AICC in- charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat came to meet with chief minister Amarinder Singh. The meeting follows at the time when reports suggest that Harish Rawat expressed his apprehension about Sidhu appointment as the state’s chief. Reportedly, he notified that Sidhu’s appointment would harm the party in the next assembly polls.

Following the meeting, Raveen Thukral who is the media adviser to the chief minister tweeted, “Had a fruitful meeting with Harish Rawat. Reiterated that any decision of INC president will be acceptable to all. Raised certain issues which he said he will take up with the INC president.”

.”Had a fruitful meeting with @harishrawatcmuk. Reiterated that any decision of @INCIndia Presìdent will be acceptable to all. Raised certain issues which he said he’ll take up with @INCIndia president”, @capt_amarinder pic.twitter.com/UGOrSbJbeR

— Raveen Thukral (@Raveen64) July 17, 2021

Harish Rawat visit follows after the chief minister wrote a letter to party’s president Sonia Gandhi in a bid to stall Sidhu’s elevation.

Seeking guidance of Presidents of the illustrious Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee … Conversations with wise men, worth months of Education !! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Tq5uqkbp6m

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) July 17, 2021

Navjot Singh Sidhu have met with the present PPCC president Sunil Jakhar at his residence in Panchkula. He also met with cabinet ministers namely Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Balbir Sidhu. He reached out to Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and other MLAs. He further met Mandi Board chairman Lal Singh. Balbir Sidhu and Lal Singh is considered as Amarinder’s loyalists.

Night, weekend curfews to be removed in Punjab for those who are vaccinated

Govindraj Muttepawar — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 12:25:13 +0000

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered the lifting of the weekend and night curfew on Friday. He allowing gatherings of hundred persons indoor and 200 people outdoor from Monday, after the state’s positivity rate increasing by 0.4 %.

During a meeting, he ordered the state police to fine political leaders violating the restrictions while conducting protest meetings and rallies.

He further added that opening up bars, restaurants, cinema halls, swimming pools, malls, sports complexes, gyms, restaurants, museums, etc to eligible staff members and visitors who have received at least the first dose of the vaccination.

Colleges, coaching centers, and schools will still remain closed and other institutions of higher learning will be open and will be subject to submission of a certification showing that all non-teaching and teaching staff and the students have been given at least the first dose of their vaccination at least two weeks prior.

Hussan Lal, Punjab Health Secretary, said that the four districts had shown an increment of positivity of the COVID-19 cases of 1% or lower but it’s in Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Firozpur, Amritsar, and Roop Nagar that the situation still remains vigilant.

Lastly, the Chief Minister also mentioned that as they have all the recipes in place and the safety level of Covid-19 and post Covid-19 care, Punjab as a state has very few cases and death accounts then compared to other states including Haryana and Delhi.

Haryana and Delhi have witnessed over 1,600 cases each and 193 to 236 deaths respectively, whereas Punjab has 623 cases and less than 51 confirmed deaths so far.

‘Punjab CM safe, but MLAs want more’: Harish Rawat on Congress Crisis

Himanjali Mahanta — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 10:00:04 +0000

Congress has ruled out a change of leadership in Punjab. One of just three states it rules on its own, and where is scrambling to contain dissent within its ranks ahead of next year’s election.

The most senior leader Harish Rawat is a part of the three-member committee that met 28 people including 25 rebel MLAs. They were informed of several concerns including lack of action against the culprits in the 2015 Guru Grant Sahib desecration case and police firing. He also said the MLAs had “high expectations from Amarinder Singh, hence resentment”.

Our leaders told us they want to develop their constituencies. They were given some funds but now they need more. It is like ‘Dil mange more’ means the hearts wants more- type situation with MLA, has hinted at “good news”.

The committee set up by party Chief Sonia Gandhi that is scheduled to meet Amritsar MLA Navjot Sidhu who is known as Amarinder Singh’s big rival within the party at 11.30 am

The committee will also meet Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh, who alleged threats from Amarinder Singh’s aide and is expected to invite the Chief Minister.

Among other issues, the two have clashed over a Punjab and Haryana High court order that quashed an SIT report into the 2015 desecration case and ask the state to set up a new team.

Various media reports have claimed that their grievances were against Mr Singh- a Gandhi family loyalist and a hugely influential figure who broke the 10 years rule of the Akali-BJP combine in 2017.