Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on Friday said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal lacked moral courage to proceed against the State Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka who was repeatedly embarrassing the State Government.
PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa, in an official statement, said that Badal had adopted delaying tactics in ordering an inquiry against Maluka in the textbook scam and also in the assault case of IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu.
Badal almost hushed up the book scam by ordering an inquiry by a retired judge of Maluka’s choice, he alleged. Pannu, in his capacity as Director General of School Education (DGSE), had tried to prevent the scam in purchase of books for libraries, science kits and practical books, Bajwa said, adding the attack on Pannu at Gobind Dham in Uttarakhand was a pre-planned and shameful act. The PPCC chief said that the inquiry set up by Badal into the book scam was “a sham”. Maluka faces charges of irregularities to the tune of Rs50 crore in purchase of books for Government schools, which rocked Punjab last month.