Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday lashed out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA Sukhpal Khaira for questioning the integrity and honesty of Justice (Retd) JS Narang, who is probing all aspects of the recent sand mind auctions in view of the allegations against a State Cabinet Minister.
He dismissed as ridiculous Khaira’s charges of Rs close relations’ between Justice (Retd) JS Narang, who is probing the sand mine auctions, and Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, against whom allegations of Rs benami transactions’ have been made by a section of the media.
The Chief Minister was talking to reporters after meeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
On the controversy triggered by the allegations against State Irrigation & Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh that he had acquired sand mines through his company employees during the recent auctions, the CM said the one-man judicial commission of Justice Narang was investigating the same. “let the report of the judicial inquiry come in. let us not crucify the minister without proof,” he said.
He rejected outright the AAP statement that Justice Narang should recuse himself from the enquiry since
his son had appeared as counsel for Rana Gurjit’s relative in some case.
AAP to hold protests across Punjab
AAP on Saturday said it will hold demonstrations in Punjab demanding sacking of minister Rana Gurjit Singh, who is facing impropriety allegations in the multi-crore sand mine auctions, from the Amarinder Singh cabinet.
Describing the judicial inquiry initiated into the allegations as “farce, pre-determined and a mere eye wash”, the party alleged that the Congress government in the state is “hell-bent” upon saving the tainted minister.
AAP state co-president Aman Arora alleged, “Involvement of cabinet minister Rana Gurjit Singh in the recent e-auction of sand mines has been exposed.”
“Instead of taking any action against Rana Gurjit, the government is hell-bent upon saving him by appointing a single-judge commission to enquire the matter. The panel member’s proximity to the minister’s family is well known,” the MlA from Sunam said.
The inquiry is of no relevance as the money trail has been kept out of the purview of the panel’s terms of reference, he said.
Arora said the AAP and the lok Insaaf Party will take the “matter of corruption by the minister” to the streets if no action is taken by the state government. He said the AAP will start demonstrations in the coming days at various place in Punjab.