Chandigarh, Apr 14 (PTI) Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday said former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi should have no problem in facing a probe in connection with a disproportionate assets matter if he has nothing to hide.
Congress leader Channi appeared before the Vigilance Bureau on Friday and was questioned for nearly seven hours. He described the probe as “totally political”.
The bureau has been inquiring into allegations of Channi amassing assets disproportionate to his known source of income. Last month, the bureau had issued a lookout circular against him.
Cheema said the AAP government has started a campaign against corruption and asserted that if Channi has nothing to hide, he should have no problem in facing the probe.
Accusing Channi of doing drama and shedding crocodile tears, the minister also referred to the Enforcement Directorate’s action against the Congress leader’s nephew, Bhupinder Singh Honey, who was booked last year in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the border state.
The AAP leader also attacked Channi for dubbing the ruling party “anti-Dalit”.
“If he had actually cared about SCs and STs, he would have taken action against the people who embezzled SC scholarship money when his party was in power. Now when he is facing the consequences of his corruption he only wants the sympathy of the people,” Cheema said here.
The minister alleged that the Congress has always treated Dalits as their votebank, misled them and used them for 70 years.
“Months before Punjab assembly elections, Congress made Charanjit Singh Channi the first chief minister from the SC community to lure voters,” he said.
“If the Congress actually cared about the poor people of our state and country, they would have facilitated them, instead it kept basic rights and facilities out of the reach of these people because they never wanted them to be educated and developed,” he claimed.
Cheema said, as the chief minister, Channi launched all welfare schemes just days before the Model Code of Conduct came into effect at the time of Punjab assembly elections in February 2022, “which shows his insincerity towards these people”.
The AAP leader said the Bhagwant Mann government has a zero-tolerance policy on corruption.
He said the AAP government is living up to the expectations of the people and fulfilling all the guarantees and commitments made to the public.
Cheema said only the Aam Aadmi Party is working for the dreams of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and reforming the education sector and government schools so that the children of poor families can get quality education.
About the Rs 25 crore cheque for Shri Guru Ravidas Study Centre in Jalandhar, Cheema said, as the chief minister, Channi issued the cheque just a few days before the code of conduct came into force and he had no real intention to build the centre.
Addressing a press conference before he reached the bureau’s office on Friday, Channi launched a scathing attack on the AAP government and said he “may be tortured, arrested or even killed”, but he is prepared to face it.
“Hang me if even one person says Channi was indulging in any corrupt practice,” the former CM said breaking down in tears. PTI SUN RHL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.