Jalandhar, May 5 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia on Friday demanded the dismissal and arrest of Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak after allegations that he allegedly committed unnatural sexual offence with a minor boy.
He also questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for shielding the perpetrator of such a heinous crime.
Addressing a public gathering in the Kartarpur Assembly constituency in favour of SAD-BSP joint candidate Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, the former minister said: "With Kataruchak's victim coming out in the open, it is clear that the obscene video of the minister which has been submitted to the Punjab Governor is genuine.
"The video is also in the possession of the police which must have also verified it by now. It is surprising that the Chief Minister has not acted in the matter till now. Bhagwant Mann should tell Punjabis if he has something to hide due to which he is not taking action against the minister."
ਆਪ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਕਟਾਰੂ ਚੱਕ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਨੌਕਰੀ ਦੇਣ ਦੇ ਲਾਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਦਲਿਤ ਭਾਈਚਾਰੇ ਦੇ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਦਾ ਜਿਨਸੀ ਸੋਸ਼ਣ ਕਰਨਾ ਹੱਦ ਦਰਜੇ ਦੀ ਗਿਰੀ ਹੋਈ ਹਰਕਤ ਹੈ ਪਰ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਖ਼ਿਲਾਫ਼ ਕਾਰਵਾਈ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਥਾਂ ਉਸਨੂੰ ਬਚਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। #ShameOnAAP @BhagwantMann @AAPPunjab @CMOPb pic.twitter.com/8OjlHrPiFg
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) May 5, 2023
Telling people that this was the "badlav" (change) AAP had brought in Punjab, Majithia said "earlier AAP Jalalabad legislator Goldy Kamboj's father Surinder was caught indulging in flesh trade extortion. Even then the Chief Minister did not take action against the legislator despite the fact that the father-son duo are together in everything and are even known to have been arrested in similar circumstances earlier".
"Now the Chief Minister is again shielding Katauchak and even denying the existence of a video tape which has been submitted to the Punjab Governor."
Majithia also noted how local AAP leader Balkar Singh had prepared a fake disability certificate to ensure his son could avail reservation in recruitment for the post of sub-inspector.
He said he was thankful to the high court which had dismissed the case of Balkar Singh's son which had stalled the recruitment of sub-inspectors which had been in the process since the time of the Congress government.
Urging the people to teach a lesson to AAP in the forthcoming by-election to the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat, Majithia said that "the people of Sangrur have already shown the door to AAP in the Malwa region. Once AAP is defeated here also then only it will realise the need to fulfill the promises made to the people".
