Cong has never insisted on Rahul as PM: P. Chidambaram
Chennai, Oct 22: The Congress has never said "officially" that its president Rahul Gandhi should be the prime minister if an opposition alliance formed the next government, senior party leader P. Chidambaram said Monday.
He insisted the Congress' focus was on dislodging the BJP government and bringing in a "progressive" alternative.
Chidambaram said the decision on who will be the prime minister in the event of an opposition alliance winning next year's Lok Sabha poll will be taken by its constituents.
"The Congress party has not officially said Rahul Gandhi should be installed as prime minister. When one or two persons spoke about it, the AICC leadership asked them not to discuss the issue," he told News 18 Tamil TV channel.
"We don't have an issue over prime ministership," he said.
The former union finance minister said the Congress' primary focus was on removing the BJP government and replacing it with a progressive alternative.
"We want a government that doesn't snatch human freedom, one that doesn't intimidate citizens, one that doesn't impose tax terrorism on traders and entrepreneurs," he said.
Safety of women and children should be a key characteristic of such a government which would strive to ensure that farmers do not lose their livelihood, he said.
"That is our intention. The Congress party never said the prime minister should be from the party. Rahul Gandhi never said so. An alliance should take shape, that alliance should win, and the alliance parties will decide who will be the prime minister," he added.
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Explosives used in blast outside Punjab Frontier BSF HQ in Jalandhar: Punjab Police
Chandigarh (PTI): Explosive material was used in the blast that occurred outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar, a senior officer from the Punjab Police said on Wednesday.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur emphasised that the police have made progress in their investigation and are actively following leads in connection with the incident.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav inspected the blast site and also held a meeting with the inspector general of the BSF here.
On Tuesday night, two back-to-back explosions near security establishments rattled Punjab, causing panic and drawing condemnation from opposition parties, who labelled these as attempts to "destabilise" the state.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar outside the headquarters of the BSF's Punjab Frontier, while the second blast occurred at around 11 pm in Amritsar.
Speaking to reporters, Commissioner Kaur stated that initial investigations suggest that some form of explosive material was used in the Jalandhar blast.
"Our forensic teams have collected explosive swabs from here, which have been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination. We believe that the blast was carried out using explosives here," she said.
She also mentioned that technical investigations and camera reviews are ongoing. "We have 3-4 leads that we are currently pursuing," she added.
The Jalandhar police commissioner further said an FIR has been registered and a probe is underway.
The blast occurred around 8 pm near the BSF chowk on Tuesday. CCTV footage captured the explosion, which was followed by a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen fleeing the scene for safety.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud bang. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Commissioner Kaur told reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She mentioned that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses in the vicinity noted hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
