Union Government being 'chatur' in Chaturvedi case, alleges Punjab minister

In the aftermath of Navneet Chaturvedi’s arrest over alleged forgery of the Ropar AAP MLA's signature for filing nomination papers and the arrest of Ropar DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar by the CBI yesterday, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh has targeted the BJP-led Union Government, alleging that it is trying to be ‘chatur’ (clever) in Chaturvedi case.

While responding to queries during a press conference at Ropar today, Balbir Singh, who was accompanied by Ropar AAP MLA Dinesh Chadha, said, “The present AAP government and CM Bhagwant Singh Mann have zero tolerance towards corruption. However, law should be equal for everybody. In Chaturvedi case, the Union Government is doing chaturai (trying to be clever). It should use it to make people join the BJP instead,” he said.

While responding to queries over Punjab Government failing to check corruption in the state police, he said there was corruption in other BJP-ruled states too. “PM Narendra Modi levelled an allegation of corruption of Rs 62,000 crore in Maharashtra, However, when the leaders against whom corruption allegations were levelled joined the BJP, the allegations vanished. Law should be equal for everybody. Drugs were confiscated from ports of Gujarat in large qualities but the blame was not put on the state government,” he said.

Balbir Singh, while responding to a query, said that the SGPC was not participating in government functions being organised on the eve of the 350^th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur being observed next month at Anandpur Sahib. He said CM Mann was trying to take them along. “We have been conveying to the SGPC that it is a global function and Sikhs and Punjabis should put up a united face during the event. The SGPC is a mini-parliament of Sikhs and the event to mark the 350^th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur is an international event. It would send a message across the world regarding Sikhism. The SGPC should become a part of it,” he said.

He said that the Punjab Government was inviting Punjabis settled across the world, the President, the PM and heads of all states of the country for the event.

He also took stock of the arrangements being made by the state Health Department.