After a slew of corruption allegations and a clean chit in a probe, Rana Gurjit has sent his resignation to the CM, who says he’s considering it.
Chandigarh: It’s been less than a year since Captain Amarinder Singh’s Congress government came to power in Punjab and one of his cabinet ministers is already on the verge of being thrown out.
Amid allegations of corruption and a host of controversies, Rana Gurjit Singh, the state power and irrigation minister, sent his resignation on 4 January. “His resignation is under consideration,” Amarinder said Tuesday.
The CM is expected to consult Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in the coming days before taking a decision on whether or not to accept the resignation. However, before that, he faces a big dilemma.
The allegations
The minister has been a source of constant embarrassment to the CM, with the opposition baying for his blood ever since his ‘former’ employees were found to have successfully bid for of two sand mining contracts in the state in May last year. Rana Gurjit denied allegations of impropriety, saying he had nothing to do with his former employees.
Faced with high decibel criticism from the opposition, the CM set up a one-member commission of inquiry under retired high court judge J.S. Narang to probe allegations against him. The commission submitted its report to the government in August 2017, giving Rana Gurjit a clean chit.
A sugar baron, Rana Gurjit and his family run sugar mills and distilleries in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The minister’s son, Inder Partap Singh, was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Wednesday for allegedly raising foreign funds for one of the family-owned companies, in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
Arguments in favour of letting him walk
Rana’s resignation comes as an unexpected move. Sources say it has to do with the party high command’s wish to project a clean image in one of the few prominent states the Congress still rules.
But there are also other murmurs of Congressmen allegedly indulging in corruption. Addressing a rally on the occasion of the Maghi Mela in Muktsar last Sunday, former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal took a swipe at the Congress for what he said is widespread corruption. “Be it sand mining or liquor, the Congress is looting the state,” he said.
In accepting Rana’s resignation, Amarinder has the opportunity to take the high moral ground and silence the opposition.
In this case, he would also send a strong message of zero tolerance towards corruption down the rank and file of his party.
Arguments in favour of retaining him
But the problem is Amarinder has so far staunchly backed Rana Gurjit. Accepting his resignation now would mean the CM admitting that he had indeed become a liability for the government.
Also, if Rana were to be let go now, the fact that he was probed and exonerated may look like a futile exercise, or worse, an eye-wash.
Rana’s removal would also mean the opposition would have its day in the sun. The leader of the opposition, AAP’s Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who had his guns trained on Rana from day one, held a press conference Tuesday and said he had been vindicated.
In the aftermath of his removal, opposition parties would be encouraged to run similar hyper-critical campaigns against other Congress leaders. Which is why it seems like a no-win situation for Amarinder, some political observers said.