Chandigarh, Oct 5 (IANS) Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday hailed the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision to hand over to the CBI the investigation into allegations of corruption involving Punjab Chief Minister’s OSD Rajvir Ghuman and the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
He said the court’s decision has exposed the reality behind a government that claims to be a “zero-tolerance” government for corruption.
Speaking to the media here, Dhillon said that following the exposure of this alleged corruption network, the Chief Minister should immediately resign, as the government has lost the moral right to remain in power. Dhillon said that in this matter, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had written to the Punjab DGP three times, but the Punjab Police did not register an FIR. When the matter reached the court through a public interest litigation, the High Court ordered a CBI probe into the case.
The High Court has directed the CBI to register a case and submit a status report within two months.
Expressing hope that the CBI will conduct a fair and transparent investigation, Dhillon said that allegations of corruption against the Chief Minister’s Office have exposed the government that claims to be “zero tolerance for corruption.” He questioned whether the government considers itself truly honest, why it runs away from an investigation despite repeated letters from the ED, and why the Chief Minister is afraid of an investigation into his own office.
“Does this not mean that there is something fishy?” he asked. Dhillon said people in Punjab are being misled by putting up boards proclaiming an “honest Chief Minister” across the state. He said several former ministers and legislators of the AAP government have already faced allegations or investigations related to corruption and money laundering, including former ministers Vijay Singla, Fauja Singh Sarari and Sanjeev Arora, and MLAs Amit Rattan Kotfatta and Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra.
He also alleged that former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar is currently in jail in connection with the suicide case involving a government official. Dhillon demanded that the government and Punjab Police immediately provide the CBI with all necessary records and full cooperation so that the investigation can proceed within the two-month deadline set by the court.
The High Court has also directed the government and the police to extend full cooperation to the CBI.
The state BJP chief also raised questions over the law and order situation in Punjab, saying not only ordinary citizens but even police personnel are not safe in the state.
Referring to recent criminal incidents, including the killing of social media influencer Mad Sandhu in Amritsar, Dhillon said the government must take effective action on the ground instead of merely making statements.
–IANS
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