PCC VP Soni distances himself from statement against Amarinder

Amritsar: Punjab Congress Committee vice president OP Soni on Sunday distanced himself from a statement released by a section of Congress leaders against party MP Amarinder Singh claiming that he and many others whose names were mentioned in the release were kept in the dark.

PCC had issued a statement yesterday in which some Punjab Congress MLAs and other senior leaders had challenged the moral authority of Amarinder to question PCC head Partap Singh Bajwa`s leadership, saying the party was reduced to just two seats in the 2004 general polls when he was Chief Minister. Soni, who too found a mention in the release, condemned the "misuse of his name" without his knowledge and authority and said as a Congressman, his loyalties were with the party and he only supported Amarinder and Sonia and nobody else. He claimed that many of the Congress leaders and MLAs whose names were mentioned in the PCC release were not taken into confidence. Soni also questioned the disciplinary notice against MLAs Kewal Singh Dhillon and Rana Sodhi, saying both of them were working in Anandpur Sahab and Amritsar as directed by the Congress high command. "So where is the question of indiscipline?" he asked. The PCC statement had also said that Amarinder had not offered his resignation to the party high command, neither did he own the responsibility for the debacle in the 2004 polls. Besides Soni, some prominent leaders and MLAs mentioned in the statement were Parminder Singh Pinki, Karan Brar, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Randip Singh Nabha.