CHANDIGARH: The BJP Punjab seems to have been backing the tainted AAP minister Dr.Vijay Singla who has been expelled from cabinet and arrested by Vigilance Department on corruption charges.
In a News 18 TV debate on expulsion of Vijay Singla, the BJP spokesman Tikshan Sood said that it was conspiracy of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to act against Dr.Vijay Singla to cover up their misdeeds. He said that it was one sided version that Dr.Vijay Singla was indulging in corruption. He added that real picture will come out when Singla will reveal the truth.
Tikshan Sood said that AAP is party of dramatists and they had also expelled a minister in Delhi in similar fashion. He said that corruption was deep rooted and cant be eliminated by taking action against Dr.Singla. He said that Kejriwal while visiting other other states claims that corruption is ended in Punjab. The action against Singla was taken to justify their false statements. AAP is creating hype due to election in other states. He felt that Dr.Singla is made scapegoat.
Tikshan Sood alleged that it was an attempt to centralise corruption. He said that Chief Minister wanted that only he should do the corruption, no other minister could do it.
Congress party spokesman Sukhdev Singh also said that corruption cant be eleiminated from the system. Arshdeep Singh of SAD said that AAP was adopting double standards. The Chief Minister is not taking any action his minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal who is Panchayat minister as he allotted prime land on cheap rates.
Amritpal Singh Sukhanand while defending action said that all opposition leaders admit there was corruption in Punjab. If it is true who was responsible beside political leaders. He wanted to know which chief minister had taken action against his minister. He recalled that even Capt Amarinder Singh in public statmeent admitted that many of his ministers were involved in corruption and aligned with mafia. He said that why no action was taken against the ministers and MLAs.
Sukhanand said that it was shameful that opposition leaders instead of hailing the decision of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh of expelling the minister, they are spekaing against government action. He said that AAP would eliminate corruption from the system.
He said that had previous governments taken action against corrupt minister, the things would have been different in Punjab. He said that it was difficult to act agaisnt a minister and Mann government has shown the guts.
Vipin Pubby former editor of The Indian Express participating in the debate welcomed the Bhagwant Mann action and said that it was not easy step. He said that previous government of Capt Amarinder Singh had failed to act against corrupt ministers and officers. He said that expulsion of Dr.Vijay Singla would send a strong message to corrupt people.
Gaurav Shukla anchor of channel who moderated the debate countered Congress spokesman that usually governments set up inquiry commissions and then hush up the corruption cases. Congress spokesman had stated that Bhagwant Mann himself was a judge and no inquiry was conducted. Shukla asked the question would corruption end with the arrest of Dr.Singla?