AAP, SAD go all-out after minister Ashu on CLU scam, CM rules out ‘arbitrary action’
LEADER OF OPPOSITION CHEEMA ACCUSES THE FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES MINISTER OF THREATENING OFFICERS PROBING CASE; SEEKS SPEAKER’S NOD TO PLAY AN AUDIO OF CALLS
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Vidhan Sabha witnessed uproar over the Ludhiana change of land use (CLU) scam on Monday with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) pressing for action against food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
Both the AAP and SAD, which went after Ashu with all guns blazing, demanded the minister’s resignation from the council of ministers. Leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema accused the minister of allegedly threatening the officers probing the case and even sought the speaker’s permission to play an audio of phone calls in this regard.
Akali legislator Bikram Singh Majithia went a step further. He demanded that besides Ashu, local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu should also be asked to resign as the land scam had taken place under his watch. While the embattled food and civil supplies minister offered to face probe by a committee of the House or any department, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh ruled out “arbitrary action” against anyone.
Ashu has been in the eye of the storm over the change of land use permission granted to a housing project, Grand Manor Homes, in Ludhiana ever since his name figured in a report submitted by a municipal body official to Sidhu.
AAP, SAD COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER
Both the AAP and the SAD seemed to be competing with each other on Monday in making noise over the raging controversy. As soon as the day’s proceedings began, Cheema launched a no-holds barred attack on the minister by bringing up the CLU scam and demanded the minister’s resignation. When speaker Rana KP Singh denied permission, telling Cheema to let the House proceed with the question hour, AAP MLAS, including the party’s disgruntled group, started raising slogans and entered the well of the House.
Rural development minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa made an appeal to the protesting members, urging them to take up the issue during the zero hour, but they did not listen. As the AAP legislators continued sloganshouting, Ashu got up to defend himself and offered to face an inquiry by any department, including a House committee. “In case I am found guilty, I am willing to face any punishment,” he said. Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu said the House committee was okay provided the minister resigned. Congress member Kushaldeep Dhillon objected to the resignation demand, telling the AAP leader not to prejudge the minister’s guilt.
‘SIDHU IN CAHOOTS WITH AAP TO TARGET ASHU’
Majithia took a dig at Sidhu by accusing him of colluding with the AAP to target his ministerial colleague. The charge triggered a verbal duel between the AAP and SAD members who accused each other of conspiring with the ruling Congress. The AAP legislators later staged a symbolic walkout from the House.
During the zero hour, it was the turn of Pawan Kumar Tinu and other Akali members to again bring up the CLU issue. They demanded the resignation of both Ashu and Sidhu from the cabinet for a free and fair probe. The AAP trained guns at the minister once again.
Amarinder intervened and told the two parties that they were trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. He ruled out arbitrary action against anyone in the case, asserting that the law would take its own course in the matter. “I will not hang anyone by the noose on the basis of media reports or to satisfy the opposition. Due procedure will be followed to identify the guilty before taking any action,” he said, asking the opposition to stop trying to pre-empt the course of justice by jumping to conclusions without evidence.