Sampla defends Som Parkash

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 21

Union Minister of State and Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla, who is known to have had a deep-rooted rivalry with Phagwara MLA Som Parkash, today defended him against allegations levelled on him of having been involved in a nexus with dismissed CIA Inspector Inderjit Singh.

Interacting with media persons in Jalandhar after the Yoga Day celebrations, Sampla said, “When Som Parkash said that he was prepared for any allegations levelled against him on having benami properties with the dismissed cop, I stand by him.”

Former Congress minister Joginder Singh Mann had, three days back, urged the Special Task Force inquiring into the drug trade “to conduct a thorough probe into the financial transactions and benami deals made by MLA Som Parkash, the dismissed cop and his accomplices in Phagwara in the last five years. Levelling serious allegations, he had said that “Som Parkash and his henchmen had turned Phagwara into a haven for drug peddlers,” a charge which the MLA dismissed outrightly.

Som Parkash has been countering the allegations as completely baseless and frivolous. “Mann is perhaps still to come to terms with his defeat and he is saying so out of sheer frustration,” he had rebutted the allegations.

Meanwhile, Sampla rubbished the announcements made by the Punjab government during the Vidhan Sabha budget session as eyewash. “These are only statements. The real test will be the implementation of all schemes. An allocation of Rs 10 crore for distributing smartphones to the youth is far too little. The sanction of Rs 1 crore for setting up a horticulture university too is very low,” he said.

He added, “Since the Punjab government has made all these announcements by itself, the Centre will not support it with any financial aid. While it started a free education scheme for girls, we already have Beti Bachao Beti Padhao at the Central level, so there is no big deal.” On farm loan waiver, he said, “It is up to CM Capt Amarinder Singh to see if he is ready to take loans for the purpose from the Centre, like UP and Maharashtra did. There is no provision as such of taking loans for giving any waiver.”