Explain your dealings with criminals – SAD to Partap Bajwa

* Maheshinder Grewal asks Bajwa why he used hardened criminals to brow
beat opponents during Rahul visit

Chandigarh, The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked Punjab Congress president Partap Bajwa to explain his dealings with criminals as well as disclose why he used hardened criminals to brow beat his opponents in the party during Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to the city.

“The cat is out of the bag and it is now a proven fact that Mr Bajwa routinely hob nobs with criminals and even uses them to settle political scores”, said SAD general secretary Maheshinder Singh Grewal while speaking about recent revelations that a gangster of the notorious Paras gang – Pala Brar was especially summoned by the PCC chief to the Punjab Congress bhawan during Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

The SAD leader said Bajwa not only used the members of the Paras gang but also one Gurtej Singh Pannu, a known arms racketeer, to keep Congressmen who were inimical towards him away from the Congress Vice President. “According to the revelations, Pannu provided shelter to Pala Brar and his gang members at his farm house in Jabli in Himachal Pradesh, summoned them to the Punjab Congress bhawan and also ensured their entry into the function on the basis of fake identity cards”.

Mr Grewal said the recent revelations exposed the real nature of the PCC president who even kept himself abreast about the plans being made to keep his opponents away from Rahul Gandhi by exchanging ten telephone calls with Pannu. “Mr Bajwa owes an explanation to the people of Punjab. He cannot brush away this issue by saying he did not know Pannu especially when Pannu was allowed access to the entire venue, which was restricted even for legislators. Does anyone allow this kind of access, including that to the stage during such an important function, to a mere son of a former neighbor as Bajwa is claiming?” the SAD leader asked.

Claiming there was more than met the eye, the akali leader said it should now be ascertained whether the PCC president’s tie up with notorious gangsters was a one odd affair or a full-fledged partnership. “I suspect the latter and urge the security agencies to get to the bottom of the case”, he said while asserting that no one should be allowed to pollute politics in Punjab by openly hobnobbing with goons and nefarious elements.

Mr Grewal meanwhile also urged Rahul Gandhi to verify the recent revelations as it was his security which had been compromised by Bajwa’s patronage to gangsters. “Such people can turn against anyone” the SAD leader said while urging Rahul to find out why Pannu was allowed access to the stage and why fake identity cards were provided to gangsters to facilitate their entry into a function addressed by him. EOM