Capt faces own MLAs’ ire over closure report in sacrilege case

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 2

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today faced ire from his own MLAs over the CBI’s closure report in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case.

They underlined the failure of the Congress government in taking on the Badals, be it the probe into sacrilege incidents or their transport business.

While stressing to fight the 2022 Assembly election under the leadership of the Chief Minister, they said they were finding themselves on weak wicket as far as the probe into the sacrilege incidents and subsequent police firing was concerned. MLAs from the Malwa and Majha region said people were questioning them on the emotional issue. The Congress needed to take a tough stand on Badals, if it wanted to win the 2022 elections.

The CM said investigations by the SIT was moving actively towards bringing the culprits in the sacrilege case to book. The CBI closure report in the Bargari cases was unacceptable as it had ignored many vital aspects of the investigation, he added.

Some MLAs having stakes in the transport business complained that the transport officials were still listening to Badals while running buses on the basis of the faulty timetable. The halting of the Gidderbaha-Delhi AC bus service allegedly at the behest of the Badals was pointed out in the CLP meeting.

As discussion on Pakistan’s evil design behind the 2020 referendum was raised in the meeting, a Cabinet minister said the issue was the creation of the police and the Central agencies and Punjab faced no threat from them.

The CMurged the MLAs to aggressively counter the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, given the huge amount of work done by the government. Cabinet ministers Bram Mohindra and Manpreet Badal underlined the need to strengthen the PPCC infrastructure to prepare the party for the 2022 polls.

CLP meeting: Other demands raised

• All MLAs demanded appointment of administrators for liaison between Nagar Councils and Municipal Committees 
• After MLAs demanded hike in their allowances, the CM, pointing out fiscal situation, said employees had not been paid their dues