Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Dharowali (Gurdaspur), October 15
When Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa were in the midst of an intense rebellion preceding Amarinder’s exit, a sense of despondency used to be all pervasive at Dharowali and Qadian, their respective native places.
The two, in fact, had almost been rendered out of action in the political battlefield. Leave alone high ranking bureaucrats, even middle-rung officials were averse to obey their diktats.
Times have now changed. The perception of people too has changed. The same people who had started maintaining a distance are now back seeking favours and standing in unending queues.
Ever since Sukhjinder was allocated the Home portfolio, police officers regularly make a beeline to him. They come in mufti and that too at odd hours.
Yesterday’s transfer of more than 36 IPS and PPS officers was preceded by frenzied behind-the-scenes activity, some acts of which were played out at Dharowali itself.
People start arriving in droves much before the sun rises. Sarpanches often urge the Deputy CM to get village link roads widened and ponds cleaned. People who come in groups are there for a common cause like seeking funds for cremation grounds. And then there are those who urge Randhawa to call up the SSP because “they spotted some youngsters selling drugs.”
The Deputy CM tries not to annoy anybody. “Justice will not be denied to even a single person in my Assembly seat,” said Randhawa.
The early morning chaos in Qadian disappears the moment the boss arrives.
The minister has made it clear that he despises people touching his feet. Recently, ASI Palwinder Singh had the audacity to defy this diktat. Within moments, he found his suspension orders arriving through an SMS on his mobile phone. Enjoying unbridled powers, it could not have got bigger for these two Congressmen.
Back in reckoning
- Caught in internal rebellion earlier, Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had almost been rendered out of action in the political battlefield
- Times have now changed. The same people who had started maintaining a distance are seen standing in unending queues and seeking favours
Post Capt’s exit, 2 power centres emerge in Majha
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