Probe meaningless unless minister quits, says Oppn

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29

Opposition parties today termed the ordering of a judicial probe against Irrigation and Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh a mere eyewash, saying that it was meaningless without the minister’s resignation.

Taking suo motu cognisance of The Tribune report on Rana Gurjit’s employees bagging mining contracts, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today ordered the setting up of a one-man judicial commission. Justice JS Narang (retd) will probe the allegations of impropriety against the minister.

AAP MLA Sukhpal Khaira said the belated judicial inquiry ordered by the CM was meaningless unless the minister was dismissed from the Cabinet. He said if Rana Gurjit continued to be a member of the Cabinet, the inquiry could never be free, fair and impartial.

AAP reminded the Congress how it had rejected the Justice Jindal Commission probing the alleged role of the then Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka in the book scam on the grounds that he had not resigned from the Cabinet.

The SAD termed the judicial inquiry as too little, too late and demanded immediate sacking of the minister to ensure a free and fair probe.

SAD spokesman Daljeet Singh Cheema said the allegations against Rana Gurjit were as good as proved. “The minister has agreed to all this but has come out with a lame excuse that the employees left the service recently. This is unbelievable,” he added.

The SAD leader said the inquiry would not serve its purpose. “It is a clear case of corruption, ‘benaami’ deals and possibly having hawala transactions. The CM should have handed over the case to the Enforcement Directorate, besides involving the Income Tax authorities.”

In a press release, former deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh welcomed the probe but added that it would be hogwash if the minister, whose ‘questionable probity’ was being inquired into by a retired HC Judge, continued as a member of the Cabinet.

The youth wing of the state BJP today asked the CM to order a CBI inquiry.

Inquiry panel head, minister linked?

AAP has urged Justice JS Narang (retd), who will conduct a judicial inquiry into the mine auction row, and Rana Gurjit Singh to clarify whether they ever had a lawyer-client relationship. If Rana Gurjit has been a client of Justice Narang in the latter’s capacity as counsel, it would raise doubts about the inquiry, AAP said. When asked if he ever represented Rana Gurjit, Justice Narang said he was at a dinner and could not recall the fact.