Yesterday, SAD leaders called Galib a ‘saint’, today Congress called him ‘deceitful’ and termed his leaving the party as ‘good riddance’. Congress leaders, while trying to put a united show against Galib, held a press conference here today.

Senior Congress leaders, including former minister Rakesh Pandey, former mayor Nahar Singh Gill, former parliamentary secretary Surinder Dawar, MLA Harmohinder Singh Pardhan, former MLA Malkiat Singh Dakha, Housefed chairman Krishan Kumar Bawa, District Congress Committee (DCC) (U) president Jagmohan Sharma, DCC (R) president Bhalinder Singh and District Youth Congress Dimple Rana issued a joint statement ridiculing the two-time former MP for betraying the party.

The leaders also took a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal for its opportunism and importing candidates from Congress. They said the SAD was so much demoralised that it was finding it difficult to find a candidate and was now poaching candidates from other parties.

“It must be a record of sorts that Galib did not open his mouth in the Parliament during his two terms. Not to speak of raising questions of public importance or those related to his constituency, he did not even participate in debates and discussions. At times, he even forgot to vote as he was literally caught napping,” they said.

Accusing Galib of sheer opportunism, the Congress leaders pointed out, he left the Congress after Emergency and returned again when the party came to power. “It would be a matter of time when Galib would again knock at the Congress door once it returns to power,” they added.

The party leaders asserted that Galib’s exit would hardly make any difference to the party. “His strength was exposed in the 2007 Assembly elections when despite his opposition to Gudeep Singh Bhaini from Jagraon assembly segment, he (Bhaini) won by a handsome margin,” it was echoed.