In open letter to CM, MP Bajwa seeks AG’S ouster

Nanda’s appointment is a perfect example of nepotism, as it was solely guided by his proximity to you.

PARTAP SINGH BAJWA, MP to CM

CHANDIGARH: Continuing with his attack on the Captain Amarinder Singh-led state government, Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Friday demanded that advocate general (AG) Atul Nanda should be sacked with an immediate effect for his incompetent handling of cases taken up in the interests of the state.

In an open letter to Amarinder, Bajwa said the AG’S incompetence in defending the state’s interests was reflected in the repeated failures faced by the government in courts in various important cases.

Bajwa said Nanda sought multiple adjournments in the public interest litigation (PIL) on drug menace in Punjab without paying heed to the havoc the problem is causing in the state, exposing his insensitivity to the issue.

“Till date, the sealed reports submitted by the special task force (STF) chief and the court appointed-special investigation team (SIT) have not been opened. The letter would expose those responsible for the drug menace in Punjab. It was the anti-drug campaign that drove the Congress to power in the 2017 assembly polls,” said Bajwa.

“Nepotism is against the state’s interests and Nanda’s appointment is a perfect example of this, as his appointment was solely guided by his proximity to you. You should make it open as how much money the state government spent on refurbishing the AG’S office and on hiring lawyers to contest the cases,” Bajwa said.

He also attacked the AG for Punjab losing in the Supreme Court the case involving loss of thousands of crores to Punjab’s exchequer due to transportation of coal.

“The Punjab and Haryana High Court has already set aside the appointment of Suresh Kumar as chief principal secretary to CM, but he is holding the public office without authority,” The Rajya Sabha MP said.