Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday slammed Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for his “attempt” to let his “tota” free in corruption case, referring to the state Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, just two days after he withdrew corruption case against the state Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh.
“Badal owes an explanation to the people of Punjab the reason behind withdrawal of corruption case in famous recruitment scam,” said party’s state convenor Gurpreet Singh Waraich (Ghuggi), vowing that once voted to power, AAP would re-open and re-investigate all cases of corruption against and take them to logical conclusion.
Ghuggi added that even Capt Amarinder should also explain whether the Akali leader Tota Singh is a “holy cow” and booked in the recruitment scam during his regime in 2001 under “political vendetta” or Badal is misusing his powers to withdraw the strong corruption case against Tota Singh.
Notably, Badal government has reportedly decided to withdraw corruption case against Tota Singh and moved an application before the Mohali court in this regard.
The order to withdraw the case were recently signed by Chief Minister Badal, who also holds the portfolio of the state’s Justice Department, after the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (CB) was allegedly pressurised to give clean chit to Tota Singh.
The corruption case against Tota Singh and some officials of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) was registered by the State Vigilance Bureau during Capt Amarinder’s regime for his alleged involvement in recruitment scam when he was the state Education Minister during the SAD-BJP government in 2001.
Ghuggi said that Tota Singh, as Agriculture Minister, was also responsible for destruction of cotton crop due to supply of spurious seeds and pesticides to farmers in Punjab. “Instead of slapping a case of corruption against Tota Singh in pesticide scam, Director (Agriculture) Mangal Singh was made a scapegoat,” he claimed.
He said that the decision of withdrawing the corruption case against Tota Singh was done just two days after such a decision in the corruption case against PPCC chief Capt Amarinder in Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT)’s land scam.