Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today rejected Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s demand for a CBI investigation into the alleged scholarship scam.
The Chief Minister said her demand for the CBI investigation into the scam reflected her lack of trust in the police force and the state administration. He said India’s legal and judicial principles empowered the state governments to seek a CBI probe only where they deemed necessary. He said Harsimrat had no locus standi in the matter and was merely trying to mislead the people of Punjab with her political stunts.
Let Admn probe scholarship scam
The demand for a CBI probe reflects Harsimrat’s lack of trust in the administration. India’s judicial principles empower a state to seek a CBI probe only where it deems necessary. — Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister
Citing the CBI’s poor track record in handling major cases in Punjab, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Central agency had not been able to solve even a single of the four cases of targeted killings, including that of RSS leader Brig Jagdish Kumar Gagneja (retd), that were handed over to them by the Akali regime.
Capt Amarinder said even in the sacrilege cases that were handed over to the CBI, it was eventually left to the Punjab Police to solve them and the force was doing an excellent job in it. “Even now, the CBI is trying to scuttle the probe in the sacrilege cases, apparently at the behest of the BJP-led Central government,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister asserted that his government was committed to a thorough and fair probe into the alleged scholarship scam, and bring those found guilty, irrespective of their position, to book.
He pointed out that even in the matter of the post-matric SC scholarship, neither Harsimrat nor her party tried to stop the Central government from withdrawing the scheme, thus depriving lakhs of SC students the right to higher education. “Where was Harsimrat then? Why did she not comment then?” he asked, adding that instead of making unwarranted statements and unsubstantiated allegations, Harsimrat should get the scheme restored first.
Two days back, a truncated session of the state Assembly had witnessed ruckus with Aam Aadmi Party and Lok Insaaf Party MLAs taking on Social Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot for his alleged complicity in protecting those involved in the SC post-matric scholarship scam.
