Punjab minister sacked on corruption charges, arrested
Darpan News Desk IANS, 24 May, 2022 12:24 PM
Chandigarh, May 24 (IANS) Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singla was sacked from the Cabinet of the two-month old Bhagwant Mann government on Tuesday and arrested shortly afterwards on corruption charges.
The Chief Minister said the minister was involved in corruption cases and he had proof of that.
Reiterating his government's firm commitment to make Punjab a corruption-free state, he said Singla was dismissed for seeking one per cent commission in department headed by him.
"My government is having zero tolerance towards corruption and no one, whosoever affluent he may be, will be allowed to continue such malpractices," Mann said.
The Chief Minister categorically said he had dismissed Singla from his Cabinet and asked the police to register case against him. He said since the case was only in his knowledge, so he could have easily buried it or ignored it.
However, Mann said after taking oath at sacred soil of Khatkar Kalan, he had vowed to make Punjab corruption-free and this is a historic step towards this cause.
He said people had chosen them for transparent and corruption-free system and he is duty-bound to fulfill the aspirations of every Punjabi.
He said since 75 years of Indian Independence there is no such parallel in the state whereas Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had taken such a bold step in 2015 when he had dismissed his Food and Supply Minister on charges of corruption.
Mann said the message is loud and clear that corrupt practices will not be allowed in the state.
He unequivocally said his predecessors had been shielding the corrupt and then saying that they knew about corruption being done by their ministers. However, Mann said such practices would not be tolerated in Punjab now. He said that Singla has admitted his crime and now the law will take its own course.
Taking a dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister said that they will fire political salvos regarding corruption on his government. But, he has taken action against the corrupt whereas the Opposition had always sheltered and promoted the corrupt leaders.
He said the intention and vision of his government is clear that corrupt practices will not be allowed and anyone indulging in this will have to face serious repercussions.
Appreciating his government for the prompt action, AAP national convener Kejriwal tweeted: "Proud of you Bhagwant. Ur action has brought tears to my eyes. The whole nation today feels proud of AAP."
First-time legislator Singla, 52, a dentist by profession, won from Mansa. He defeated popular Punjabi singer and Congress candidate Shubhdeep Singh, also called Sidhu Moosewala, by a margin of 63,323 votes, the highest winning margin in the election.
Singla did Bachelor of Dental Surgery from Punjabi University, Patiala.
As per the affidavit submitted by him at the time of filing his nomination, Singla has Rs 6.48 crore of assets and Rs 27 lakh as liabilities. His wife is an Ayurveda practitioner.
The government can't restrict fundamental rights in the garb of maintaining public order, the counsel for the girl students seeking permission to wear the hijab told the Karnataka High Court on Monday.
On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group attacked the CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 personnel were killed.
The Customs officials on Sunday recovered an unclaimed bag containing 'cocaine capsules' valued at Rs 15 crore from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, an official said. The official said that it was seized and a case was lodged and efforts were being made to identify the accused who abandoned the bag.
In the run-up to the February 20 Assembly elections in Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's chopper was not allowed to take off from Chandigarh on Monday owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's movement in the state.
The deceased were identified as Rukaiya Khatoon, Shahzaad, Afreen and Danish, all residents of J.J. Colony while two women -- identified as Fatima and Shahnaaz, were rescued and sent to the hospital. "Both of them are out of danger," a police official said.
Honey was presented at the court after his Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody expired on Friday. Earlier, on two occasions, the court had granted ED the custody of Honey.
