Punjab ex-CM Channi says not scared of govt action, appears before VB
Punjab vigilance bureau has prepared a source report on assets Charanjit Singh Channi owns and shall be comparing it with what he states as part of the disproportionate assets case probe
Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who was being questioned by the vigilance bureau (VB) in Mohali on Friday in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA), asserted that he is not scared of the AAP government’s “political vendetta”.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress office in Chandigarh before heading for the VB headquarters, Channi said that he will go to the VB alone and they can arrest or torture him. “They may even kill me one day. I am prepared for all of that,” he said, asking “is this democracy, mobocracy or oligarchy?”
Also read: Will give befitting reply to govt at right time: Ex-CM Channi
The Congress leader said questions raised by him regarding justice in sacrilege cases, insult of the jathedar, anti-Dalit actions and compensation to farmers for crop loss on Thursday had rattled the state government. “The government offices are shut today due to a holiday on account of Baisakhi and Ambedkar Jayanti, but they have opened them to torture me,” he said.
Channi questioned the timing of the summons, saying that the AAP government did not want him to campaign for Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, the Congress candidate for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection.
{{/usCountry}}Channi questioned the timing of the summons, saying that the AAP government did not want him to campaign for Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, the Congress candidate for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha byelection.
{{/usCountry}}At the press conference, Channi was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) deputy leader Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary and former ministers Brahm Mohindra and Aruna Chaudhary.
{{/usCountry}}At the press conference, Channi was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) deputy leader Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary and former ministers Brahm Mohindra and Aruna Chaudhary.
{{/usCountry}}He was summoned to join the probe on Wednesday, but he sent an email expressing his inability to do so. The VB then summoned him on April 20 but finally asked him to appear before it on Friday.
{{/usCountry}}He was summoned to join the probe on Wednesday, but he sent an email expressing his inability to do so. The VB then summoned him on April 20 but finally asked him to appear before it on Friday.
{{/usCountry}}The bureau is reported to have prepared a source report on Channi’s assets and when he appears, a list of assets he owns will be requested and compared to the source report.
{{/usCountry}}The bureau is reported to have prepared a source report on Channi’s assets and when he appears, a list of assets he owns will be requested and compared to the source report.
{{/usCountry}}On March 7, the VB had issued a lookout circular against Channi, apprehending he may fly abroad. The assets of Channi, his family members and aides are being investigated for allegedly amassing more wealth than their declared sources of income.
Channi has denied any wrongdoing, calling the AAP government’s action “political vendetta”.
Ten former ministers of the Congress, including Brahm Mohindra, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Sham Sunder Arora, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla, OP Soni and Sangat Singh Gilzian, are also facing VB probes for corruption.
