Training his guns at Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for not acting against his “disgraced” Minister in Education Department scams, State Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday said that it has exposed his moral bankruptcy.
“The way CM is shielding Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka, it shows the arrogance and lack of resolve in containing corruption in his government. CM is blindfolded and not ready to see the gravity of blunder committed by his minister,” said Bajwa in his official statement.
He added that the scam which appeared to be only an embezzlement of central funds has now cropped up a bizarre case of “unparallel political corruption”.
Seeking Maluka’s “immediate” dismissal, Bajwa maintained that a probe by CBI must be ordered. “If Badal has no faith in CBI, let him request the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to appoint a sitting judge to probe the scam in a time bound manner,” he added.
“I am shocked to see the comments against National and State leaders as given in the books supplied to primary school children.
The Congress party can’t tolerate the insult of national leaders and Chief Minister owes a public apology besides taking strict action against Maluka. The scam of this magnitude and nature shall be investigated by an independent agency like CBI or a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court,”
said Bajwa.
He added that in one of the books selected by his minister for school libraries, a chapter from a book ‘Kanwal Kehnda Reha’, deplorable comments were made against India’s first Prime Minister late Pt Jawahar lal Nehru and father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi that they always acted against farmers, labourers and dalits.
Even about the Chief Minister the books says that he is “yet to mature in his thinking”.
Bajwa also pointed that the women were disgraced in books supplied to children portraying them as decoration pieces and depicting in lewd manner.
“Did Badal approve the vulgarity offered to children at tender ageIJ Misappropriation of funds of Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyaan is only one aspect of the scam. The moral and ethical conduct of the minister is more severe in nature. Most shameful of it is that Maluka has made his daughter-in-law party to his illegal activities,” added Bajwa.
He added, “Maluka was earlier caught on camera slapping and abusing the government school teachers who went to protest in his home constituency of Rampur Phool. What more could be expected from a man of criminal mentalityIJ”
“It is intriguing why the Chief Minister took the resignation of Animal Husbandry Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike who was involved in border area fund scam and using different yard stick for Maluka,” added Bajwa.
Cong misleading people to save skin: Bhunder
Rajya Sabha MP and Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary, Balwinder Singh Bhunder on Friday blamed the State Congress leadership for trying to divert people’s attention from the scams and anti people policies of the UPA by politicizing the issue of Cabinet Minister Sikander Singh Maluka.
“Congress is habitual of speaking lies against the State Government and the whole campaign against Maluka is a conspiracy of the Congress aimed at misleading the people of the state. People are already aware of Congress leadership’s dubious character and they would not get swayed by Opposition’s these political gimmicks,” said Bhunder.
Backing Maluka, Bhunder said that he had taken timely action against the irregularities in his department but now the Congress was unnecessarily raising the storm just to get political mileage out it.
The Rajya Sabha MP categorically said that as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had already ordered a probe by the retired judge to look into the matter, there was hardly any need for any other inquiry.
“Raising the storm against the Judge inquiring into the matter, the Congress is putting a question mark over the integrity of judiciary which could never be tolerated,” he added.
Welcoming Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order to quash a PIl demanding CBI inquiry in the matter, Bhunder said that it had vindicated the party's stand regarding Maluka.