‘Muddy’ mining contracts: AAP leaders court arrest, demand Rana Gurjit’s resignation
AAP leaders, including state president Bhagwant Mann, legislative group leader HS Phoolka, co-president Aman Arora and chief whip Sukhpal Singh Khaira, along with other MLAs, protested outside the Punjab vidhan sabha. AAP leaders raised slogans against the Congress government.
Rejecting the one-man judicial commission, led by Justice (retd) JS Narang, that the Congress government constituted on Monday, Aam Aadmi party (AAP) on Tuesday asked Justice Narang to recuse because of “conflict of interest”.
AAP said Justice Narang’s son, advocate Abhijit Singh Narang, was handling the cases of companies of irrigation and power minister Rana Gurjit Singh and that of Capt JS Randhawa, who according to AAP have taken part in the auction of mining quarries on behalf of Rana Gurjit.
AAP leaders, including state president Bhagwant Mann, legislative group leader HS Phoolka, co-president Aman Arora and chief whip Sukhpal Singh Khaira, along with other MLAs, protested outside the Punjab vidhan sabha. AAP leaders raised slogans against the Congress government.
Lok Insaaf Party MLA Balwinder Singh Bains also took part in the protest. They demanded sacking of Rana Gurjit Singh, accusing him of taking sand quarries on ‘benami’ names.
The protestors were stopped and taken into preventive custody. Some AAP leaders, including Khaira, Arora, Baljinder Kaur, rushed towards Capt Amarinder Singh’s residence to hand over a memorandum seeking removal of Rana Gurjit Singh, but were prevented and taken into preventive custody. They were taken to the Sector 17 police station.
“Earlier, Akalis were known for illegal trades of sand, land, transport but now Congress leaders are surpassing them in the illegal businesses,” AAP state president and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said. “Amarinder used to make tall claims of sending Badals and their allies to jail. But he is helpless in taking action against his own minister,” Mann further added.
Phoolka said that there was clear evidence that Rana Gurjit Singh was “directly involved” in sand mining but CM was shying away from taking action. “If Captain really wants to inquire the matter, he must appoint a sitting judge to investigate the case and before that Rana Gurjit should resign,” Phoolka said.
He announced that party will start district-level protests incase the government failed to act.