Rahul pulls the plug on Rana, setback to Capt ›
FIRST RESIGNATION High command takes moral call on power minister in sand auction row, ED notice to son; Capt likely to drop him
Though I have been given a clean chit in the sand mining row, there was no end to smear campaign against me. I, therefore, offered my resignation on moral grounds . RANA GURJIT SINGH, irrigation and power minister
CHANDIGARH: Less than a year in power and Captain Amarinder Singh is going to be one minister down. Sugar baron Rana Gurjit Singh, whom Amarinder had bestowed with plum portfolios of power and irrigation, has finally put in his papers after being hounded by controversies. Amarinder’s cabinet has nine ministers, including Rana. He has yet to fill the remaining eight slots.
It is learnt that the fiat came from Congress president Rahul Gandhi on feedback of state leaders as the corruption charges were “denting the party’s image”. The dust over involvement of Rana’s aides in the sand mining auctions -- through companies owned by family of his election agent, JS Randhawa and chartered accountant, TN Singla -- had not settled that Rana courted a fresh controversy over summons of Enforcement Directorate (ED) to his son, Rana Inder Partap Singh, for raising funds abroad without mandatory permissions.
Rana had disassociated himself from the business dealings of his aides involved in sand mining auctions but he cannot do so with his son, who is the managing director of family-owned Rana Sugars. Amid reports of being dropped, Rana tendered his resignation.
The development is a setback for CM. Rana was his confidant and personal pick for the cabinet. When the mining scandal erupted in May last year, the CM had set up a one-man inquiry commission under Justice JS Narang (retd), which gave the minister a “clean chit”. But Rana’s unenviable rival, leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira, and his detractors within the Congress, ensured “proofs” kept tumbling out against Rana. All this was also making the CM’S position on Rana untenable.
“When the government gives a clean chit to a minister, how can we stop our MLAS from indulging in sand mining? The party needs to give a clear message on corruption,” a senior party leader said. Some ministers too wanted Rana to go. Amarinder will be meeting Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and party general secretaries in-charge of Punjab, Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary, on Wednesday at New Delhi. Their meeting with Rahul is scheduled on Thursday. Jakhar said it is the CM’S prerogative to decide on a minister’s resignation. Rana’sexitmayalsofinally see the much-awaited cabinet expansion take place sooner than later to fill nine slots in the 18-member cabinet after he goes.
Amarinder on Tuesday said Rana Gurjit had submitted his resignation from the cabinet voluntarily. The chief minister said he had not asked the minister to quit. “Nor was there any pressure on him to tender his resignation. The decision on the resignation will be taken after a discussion with the Congress president (Rahul Gandhi),” he said.