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Amarjeet Sidhu resumes charge of Mohali Mayor
On January 19, the Punjab and Haryana high court had stayed the Punjab local bodies’ department order to remove Amarjeet Sidhu from the Mohali municipal corporation House
Four days after the Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the Punjab local bodies’ department order to remove him from the municipal corporation (MC) House, Amarjeet Singh Sidhu resumed the charge of Mohali mayor on Monday.
Amarjeet, who is the younger brother of former Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, was removed as councillor on December 28 by the local bodies department after indicting him in a conflict of interest case.
The order passed by secretary, local bodies, had said the government was left with no option but to disqualify him as a councillor, as he had violated Section 63 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976. By virtue of this, he was disqualified as mayor as well.
The allegations were that he presided over meetings as the finance and contract committee (F&CC) chairman, in which tenders were awarded to a society, of which he was a member. The opposition had accused Amarjeet of allotting 12 tenders worth ₹1.5 crore to Amritpreet Cooperative Society Limited, Phase 6. Under Section 63 of the Act, a councillor cannot vote in a matter in which he has personal advantage.
Celebrations erupt at MC office
As Amarjeet returned at the MC office in Sector 68, scores of his supporters, including Chandigarh BJP president Arun Sood and BJP leader Devinder Singh Babla, congratulated him with bouquets, garlands and sweets. His elder brother, Balbir, also accompanied him while resuming the mayor’s charge. A few supporters were also seen shaking legs to dhol beats.
“I became a victim of political vendetta. I tried my best to explain to the secretary, local bodies, and the minister about my innocence, but they didn’t pay any heed. I had informed them about my US visit and had requested to take action, if any, before I leave, but they removed me in my absence. We adopted the legal path and justice was eventually delivered by the court,” mayor said.
Elected as a councillor on a Congress ticket in 2021, Amarjeet, along with Balbir, had switched to the BJP in June 2022. But he continued as the Mohali mayor with the support of Congress councillors, who remain in majority (34) in the 50-member MC House.
A month later, the Congress had expelled senior deputy mayor Amrik Singh Somal and deputy mayor Kuljeet Singh Bedi for six years over anti-party activities.
