Continuing with their protest against Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, Punjab Congress on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding an independent probe into the book scam.
The memorandum was given to Chief Minister’s joint principal secretary Sandeep Hans demanding CBI inquiry into embezzlement to the tune of crores of rupees in the central funds under Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) by the Education Minister.
The memorandum stated, "Forced to act under immense public pressure, you have now ordered a judicial inquiry headed by a retd. Judge with doubtful track record and is a known close friend of yours. It is also astonishing that while the Government continues to shield the accused Education Minister, it has chosen to suspend the three officials appointed by the Minister for the wrongful tendering process. Why has the Minister not been punished, who is responsible for appointing the committee that indulged in embezzlementIJ"
The party workers from Patiala district staged dharna at Sector 10-11-15-16 rotary, raising slogans against Maluka. The protestors started from Congress Bhawan in Sector 15 and marched to sector-16 General Hospital rotary.
The protestors were stopped by Chandigarh police when they started to walk towards the residence of the Punjab Chief Minister. Congress vice-presidents and MlAs Charanjit Singh Channi, Tarlochan Soond, MlA and Patiala (rural) party district chief Hardayal Kamboj, and former MlA Madan lal Jalalpur led the protest march.
“Maluka is guilty of moral and financial corruption and also accused of nepotism in his department. He violated all norms and ethics by bringing his daughter-in-law Parampal Kaur on deputation from rural development department to the Education department and gave her all administrative powers,” said Channi.
Channi alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was shielding the corrupt minister and shown his moral bankruptcy. “If Maluka is innocent and he has not done anything unlawful, then why Badal is scared of impartial inquiry into the book scam,” he added.
The Congress leaders demanded immediate dismissal of Maluka otherwise the Congress would continue to ask the Chief Minister same question time and again why he was shielding the corrupt men in his cabinet.