E-Paper
Have no link with brother Avtar Pannu of SFJ, says Balwinder Kotlabama
Balwinder Kotlabama says he is against the idea of Khalistan and has not talked to his brother Avtar Singh Pannu since 2007 when he visited India last
Balwinder Singh Pannu Kotlabama, the newly appointed chairman of Punjab Genco Limited, a subsidiary of the Punjab Energy Development Authority (PEDA), on Thursday claimed that he had no link with his brother Avtar Singh Pannu, a key functionary of banned pro-Khalistan organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
The appointment of Kotlabama, an aide of Punjab cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, as Punjab Genco Limited chairman stirred a row after the opposition parties and even some Congress leaders opposed the move over his relation with Avtar Pannu.
He said, “I have not talked to him (Avtar) since 2007 when he visited India last. I have been a soldier of the Congress for the last 42 years. I was chairman of the Batala market committee and remained the sarpanch of my village Kotlabama for 25 years. Till recently, I was district vice-president of the Congress.”
Kotlabama said he was against the idea of Khalistan. “A senseless man named Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is running his own agenda. My brother was lured by him. Security agencies can conduct an inquiry to check my links with these secessionist elements,” he said over phone.
He accused former MLA Ashwani Sekhri of targeting him over the issue. “Actually, there is a turf war between Tript Bajwa and Sekhri over the Batala assembly seat. To target Bajwa, Sekhri is making me a scapegoat,” he said.
He also slammed Qadian MLA Fatehjung Singh Bajwa for targeting him over the “baseless issue”.
