Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh with Sunil Jakhar in Chandigarh. (Express Photo: Kamleshwar Singh/File)
Resentment among some Congress MLAs over recent transfers of police officers and “unavailability of the Chief Minister” are some of the reasons why Punjab Congress president Sunil Kumar Jakhar left Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s office in a huff without meeting him on Wednesday, sources said.
It is learned that Jakhar, who was approached by several party MLAs over transfers of police officers and before that on several other issues, had sought audience from the Chief Minister a couple of times during the Assembly session, but his request was not answered. He was given an appointment on the last day of Assembly session for which he had come from Delhi. But it was postponed for the next day as the CM was stated to be busy with a dinner meeting. “The next day, he was said to be indisposed and the meeting could not take place,” said a senior Congress leader.
Sources said the PPCC chief had been seeking a fresh appointment for the last three days, ever since recent police transfers took place. The CM, however, was stated to be busy. Finally, on Wednesday, Jakhar was conveyed that the CM would meet him following which he travelled from Delhi to Chandigarh.
Sources said a number of Congress MLAs from Malwa region had approached Jakhar in protest against the transfer of M S Chhinna as IG Bathinda and posting of Sukhchain Singh Gill as Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana.