Probe us too: PCC leaders to Punjab Vigilance Bureau

Chandigarh, August 22

Adopting an aggressive stand against party leaders being booked in various cases, Punjab Congress leaders today gathered outside the State Vigilance Bureau (VB) office in Mohali and asked the sleuths to probe them too.

Differences in party out in open

Congress Legislature Party leader Partap Singh Bajwa left the Congress Bhawan in a huff after his vehicle was not allowed to enter the premises on Monday. Bajwa was accompanied by former minister Om Parkash Soni and former Assembly Speaker Rana KP Singh. Earlier too, differences were reported between PCC president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Bajwa over the contents of a memorandum that was submitted to the Governor in June last year.

CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, however, did not join them after his vehicle was not allowed in the Punjab Congress Bhawan, where other party leaders had gathered to further move to the VB office in Mohali. Bajwa didn’t respond to repeated calls.

The leaders who gathered outside the Congress Bhawan were PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring along with former ministers Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Rana Gurjeet Singh and Sukhwinder Singh Sarkaria.

Alleging malicious campaign against the Congress leaders, Warring said, “Everyday, there are media reports levelling baseless charges against ex-ministers, accusing them of corruption to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees without the amount being accounted for. All this is to create a false perception among the public against the party leaders. The government is indulging in ‘vendetta and witch-hunt in Punjab’ to divert attention from the heat it’s facing from probe agencies in Delhi.”

Ex-minister Ashu said: “Daily, my name was being used in the ongoing probe into the transportation of foodgrains. So, I am here outside the VB office to get probed.”

Further, the PCC leaders said they were fed up with these daily dossiers of maligning them. “So, we decided to present ourselves before the VB so that it can detain anyone of us or all of us, whomsoever you have any complaints against,” Warring added.

The leaders said they want to make it clear to everyone concerned that the party would not take it lying down anymore. “We will use all legal and legitimate channels to defend ourselves and ensure that those indulging in witch-hunt and the intimidation of our workers and leaders are held to account at the right time,” the PCC chief said.