CHANDIGARH: Newly appointed Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Friday assumed office here, saying "discipline, dedication and dialogue" are needed to strengthen the party.
While giving the '3-D formula', Warring, a former transport minister of Punjab, also said disciplinary action will be taken against anyone trying to weaken the Congress.
Warring along with the working president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, took charge at a low-key ceremony here in the presence of senior party leaders at Punjab Congress Bhavan.
Warring succeeds Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Congress leader Sidhu came to the party office but did not share the stage with other party leaders.
He later met Warring and congratulated him for taking over as the new Punjab Congress chief.
Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who was served notice by the disciplinary committee for alleged anti-party activities, was conspicuous by his absence.
Addressing the gathering, Warring said the Congress is a 'soch' (thought) and 'vichar' (ideology) which cannot wither away.
Warring said the party leaders need to follow the three 'Ds' -- discipline, dedication and dialogue.
Stressing that discipline was essential for strengthening the party, the 44-year-old leader said no person or party can grow in absence of discipline.
"We have to adopt three Ds in our lives if we want to move towards success," said Warring, adding that dedication towards shouldering responsibility was very important.
He urged party colleagues to work with dedication while seeking to assure them that he would take along everyone in his mission.
He said he would ensure dialogue and discussion within the party so that everyone is heard.
Seeking to emphasise the importance of dialogue and discussion, he said even he cannot succeed as the PPCC chief if he keeps making his own strategy without consulting party colleagues.
Dialogue and discussions and teamwork are important for success in politics and business both, he said.
Warring thanked the party leadership including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for making him the Punjab Congress president.
Asked about Navjot Sidhu meeting the Punjab governor without the party's state unit chief on Thursday, Warring said, "Every person has a right to go anywhere and everybody has a right to raise his voice anywhere. This is the Congress."
Warring, however, said nothing should be done to weaken the party.
"If anybody works towards weakening the Congress, the disciplinary action will surely be taken against him," he said, talking to the media later.
To a question about Sidhu not sharing the stage in the ceremony, Warring said he met him and hugged him.
"He congratulated me but you can ask him why he did not sit in the ceremony," said Warring who won the Gidderbaha assembly seat in Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib district for the third time.
To another question, he said discipline will be maintained in the Congress party.
Later in a tweet, Warring said, "Discipline, Dedication and Dialogue will be my 3-D mantra for strengthening the party."
Addressing the gathering, PPCC working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu spoke about the "challenge" of uniting the party's "demoralized workers".
He said in the Congress party, there is "no personal branding" and the state leadership will reach out to the party workers.
Meanwhile, without naming anyone, AICC member and in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Chaudhary said nobody is above the party.
He rued that "utterances" by certain party leaders gave the AAP a chance to come to power in the state.
Asked if he was referring to Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chaudhary said, "I am not taking anybody's name. You should not put words in my mouth."
On being told that Sidhu blamed "mafia raj" for the party's defeat in the state assembly polls, Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "In the Congress, there are some 'bhagidars' (stakeholders) and some are 'kiraydars' (tenants). This is the answer to your question."
Notably, Sidhu has been meeting several party leaders for the past several days.
He had even met Surjit Dhiman and Kewal Dhillon who had been expelled from the party.
Prominent among those who were present at the ceremony included former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Chaudhary, Punjab Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa, MLAs Sukhpal Khaira, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria, MPs Manish Tewari and Jasbir Dimpa and other party leaders.
Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang, meanwhile, took a dig at the Congress, saying constructive opposition is hardly expected from a divided house of the Congress.
"On his @RajaBrar INC coronation as President PPCC we would expect Congress to play the role of Constructive opposition but it's hardly expected from the Congress which is ridden in Infighting and Factionalism, Warring Must also Add 4th D signifying a Divided House of Congress," said Kang in a tweet.
The Congress had appointed Warring as the Punjab Congress chief in place of Navjot Singh Sidhu.
The party had also appointed former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu as the working president of the Punjab Congress.
Following the party's drubbing in the five states that went to the polls recently, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had asked these state Congress chiefs to resign.
The AAP stormed to power in Punjab after winning 92 seats out of 117 while the Congress got just 18.