M A I N   N E W S

Probe Bhattal charges against CM: Badal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 12
Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Leader of the Opposition, today urged the Governor, Justice O.P.Verma, to convene an emergency session of the State Assembly and direct Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to prove majority on the floor of the House.

Speaking to mediapersons after a meeting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the party, Mr Badal said the Chief Minister had himself stated that there were 40 MLAs with him which meant that he was in a minority in the 117-member House. Even the SAD had 48 MLAs in the State Assembly “If Capt Amarinder Singh proves his majority in the House he should continue otherwise he should quit”, said Mr Badal.

“I would write to the Governor requesting him to call a session. A copy of the resolution passed in this connection by the PAC would be sent to him”, Mr Badal added. There was political uncertainty in the state as the entire government was camping in Delhi.

He also sought a CBI inquiry into the allegations of “corruption” levelled against Capt Amarinder Singh by former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Capt Amarinder Singh had himself stated that he would order a CBI inquiry immediately if anyone levelled allegations against him. “But now a senior member of Capt Amarinder Singh’s own Cabinet has levelled such allegations that have been telecast by a leading TV channel”, Mr Badal said. The Chief Minister should order an inquiry but it should not be held by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, the SAD leader said.

The predicted “big political developments” in the days to come. “I would not tell you what my party was up to vis-a-vis the emerging political scenario in the ruling party and in the state”, Mr Badal said while replying to repeated questions as to which group his party would support in the case of split in the ruling party.

He announced that as part of the “zabbar virodhi lehar”, the SAD would hold political conferences at Chamkaur Sahib on December 20, Machhiwara (December 23) and Alamgir (December 30), Jalandhar (January 7), Hoshiarpur (January 8) and Muktsar (January 13), Takhtupura, near Moga (January 14), Adampur (January 15) and at Patran (January 17).

After appearance in the court at Ropar tomorrow, Mr Badal will proceed to Delhi to thank NDA leaders for standing by him in the hour of crisis. He would also meet the Prime Minister.

Badals withdraw case transfer plea
Our Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 12
Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal, who were granted bail by the Special Court at Ropar on Tuesday, today withdrew their petitions for the transfer of their case outside Punjab as well as for bail from the Supreme Court.

The petition for bail was withdrawn by Badals’ counsel Sidharth Luthra on the ground that it had become infructuous in view of the Special Court’s order. He also withdrew the petition for the transfer of the case pleading that the father and the son be granted liberty to file it in future if the situation so warranted.

Punjab Government counsel P. Chidambaram strongly opposed the granting of liberty to the Badals to file the petition for the transfer of the case again alleging that they had “abused the process of law” by approaching the Supreme Court for bail as well as the transfer of the case when the Special Court was seized of their applications for bail.

They could not take a different stand at different time on the same issue according to their suitability, he said.

“Yesterday, they had no faith in the court in Punjab and came with a transfer petition before this court and today they want to withdraw the same after they got bail from the trial court. This amounts to abuse of the process of law,” Mr Chidambaram argued.

A Bench comprising Mr Justice N. Santhosh Hegde and Mr Justice B.P. Singh, however, allowed the withdrawal with the observation that the apex court could not “close the doors” for the petitioners if they come with fresh grounds in future for the transfer of the case.

Besides, Mr Chidambaram and Punjab’s Additional Advocate General Atul Nanda, the Punjab Government had engaged a battery of senior lawyers, including Mr Udai Lalit and Mr Rajiv Dutta, to plead its case.