Himachal’s ‘tainted’ Lawmaker Asha Kumari appointed AICC incharge of Punjab

Sources in the party indicated that she would not be replaced, arguing that Kamal Nath’s case was different.

“It was as if this was not enough, the congress High Command has now pulled Asha Kumari out of the box and appointed her state in-charge”.

Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday said he was on the verge of quitting the Congress and forming his own party a year ago, the time when he was locked in an intra-party tussle to get back the state unit chair from Partap Singh Bajwa.

“It appears as if Congress has completely gone bankrupt of choices of finding one clean person with unblemished record to lead the party in Punjab”, alleged Senior AAP leader and in-charge of party’s affairs in Punjab, Sanjay Singh.

The appointment triggered a row as it was found that the five-term MLA was out on bail after getting a one-year imprisonment for land grabbing, by a Chamba court in February.

Speaking separately, Ms. Kumari rejected demands for her resignation, asserting she had party president’s Sonia Gandhi’s “full mandate”. “We are very much geared up to form the government in Punjab and BJP, and others are scared”, she said.

Kumari’s selection came as a surprise as she was convicted for land grabbing. “How can I grab the land which belongs to my father-in-law”.

“While the courts are yet to pronounce the final judgement in the matter, here are our opposition leaders who are ready to pronounce her guilty”, he observed, while pointing out, the High Court was yet to pronounce its judgement in the matter.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Kapil Sibal argued that many BJP leaders were facing more serious charges.

Training his guns at BJP president Amit Shah, Bajwa told ANI that when the BJP chief is an accused in a murder case, how can its party leaders point fingers at the Congress.

The former Chief Minister asked the opposition, particularly the Akali Dal and the BJP that if they could nominate Navjot Singh Sidhu, whose conviction has been stayed by the Supreme Court, to the parliament, how could they object to Ms Kumari’s appointment.

He alleged some BJP ministers in Gujarat continued to occupy their posts despite being “convicted” by courts. Let us not talk of perception.