Congress on Thursday objected to the Punjab Government’s consent to shift Haryana’s former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to Bathinda central jail from Tihar, questioning the motive of the Badal-led dispensation behind such a step.
During the Zero Hour, Congress MlA from Dera Baba Nanak Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa lambasted the Punjab Government for giving the green light to the Delhi Government for transferring Chautala to Bathinda jail.
“Punjab Government wants to bring jailed Chautala to a prison in Punjab...Is this love of Badals for him...How will State benefit from itIJ” questioned Randhawa, adding, “What love Badal has for him (Chautala)IJ”
“Chautala is behind bars in a corruption case...How will it help in Punjab’s development if he is brought from Delhi prison to here in the State,” he added.
Raising the issue in the House, leader of the Opposition Sunil Jakhar willed the Government to answer whether Akalis have resolved the Sutlej Yamuna link (SYl) canal water distribution issue with Chautala’s INlD in Haryana.
Intervening, Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal said that the matter is administrative in nature, between the two Governments, hence he could not interfere in it.
Congress MlA Ajit Inder Singh Mofar said that there are other key issues like farmers crisis that needed urgent attention of the Government.
Chautala, along with his son Ajay Chautala and others, is lodged in Tihar jail after being convicted by a Delhi court in a scandal involving recruitment of Junior Basic Teachers (JBT) in Haryana.
It has been learnt that Punjab government has given the mandatory no-objection certificate to the Delhi Government on Chautala’s plea that he be transferred to Bathinda jail.