ABSOLUTE LIES: CAPTAIN

When contacted, Amarinder rebutted Bir Devinder’s accusations saying the latter was eyeing the Ghanaur assembly seat, which he had refused to allot to him. “He is telling absolute lies. Surinder Singla was trying to bring us close. I did thank him for helping me in Amritsar elections as he is a good speaker and used to speak at my rallies, but I don’t remember calling him to Moti Bagh Palace and I never asked him to sign any affidavit. How can I ask him to withdraw his statement on a case which had gone up to the Supreme Court constitutional bench? What is his locus-standi in the case after the HC has ruled that the House committee report should not form the basis of the first information report registered in the case and it needs to be reinvestigated. He is lying that he did not know the case was linked to me. As the CM, I had put my consent on the file on Amritsar land case after getting the advocate general’s nod. He is a disgruntled person and had joined hands with the Akalis to throw me out of the assembly after I removed him from deputy speaker’s post as the CM as he had made it difficult for the speaker to function. Chahal has nothing to do with my case,” Amarinder said. Amarinder also questioned which Congress CM Bir Devinder got along with. “Be it Darbara Singh, Beant Singh or me, he has challenged everyone. He is now trying to blackmail me for the Ghanaur seat. In good faith, I made him in-charge of the media panel. Instead of handling his work, he is busy harming the party,” Amarinder added.

‘I HAD RESIGNED, WAS NOT REMOVED’

Bir Devinder countered Amarinder’s rebuttal saying he had resigned from the deputy speaker’s post as Amarinder was “exerting undue pressure” on him. “Who is the CM to remove a deputy speaker? My resignation was not accepted for over a month and later I was awarded the best parliamentarian award.

Amarinder is saying the Ghanour seat belongs to former MLA (Madan Lal), how is he offering me Sirhind seat which belongs to a sitting MLA? You can’t counter a dead man or a liar. I have paid a heavy price for raising the issue and was denied tickets in 2007 and 2012 elections. My political career is still at stake even after all these years,” he added.