Seed scam: SAD asks CM to sack cabinet minister Randhawa

The party leaders also demanded the Punjab chief minister to order a girdwari to ascertain the loss incurred by farmers by sowing spurious varieties of PR-128 and PR-129 paddy seeds.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to sack cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and sought registration of a case against him for being party to the ₹4,000 crore inter-state seed scam.

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SAD also demanded the CM to order a girdwari to ascertain the loss incurred by farmers by sowing spurious varieties of PR-128 and PR-129 paddy seeds and compensate them.

Addressing the media, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said a case under Section 120 (b) should be registered against cabinet minister Sukhjinder Randhawa for showing a fake bill during a press conference in the state secretariat to cover up the crimes of his close associate and spurious seed producer Lucky Dhillon.

He said that blatant defence of Lucky, who is the proprietor of Karnal Agri Seeds, delayed his arrest and gave him time to disperse the spurious seed stock in his possession. “As per information, 12 trailers of spurious seeds were taken out of Karnal Seed’s unit in Dera Baba Nanak,” he said.

Telling the chief minister that his cabinet colleague had decided to stand with the spurious seed producer rather than the farmers, Majithia said Randhawa had lost all moral right to remain in office.