Political misuse of vigilance bureau must stop, says Randhawa

Punjab cabinet minister’s statement comes a day after reports of a vigilance investigation into the alleged deals of close associates of former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur

A day after reports of a vigilance investigation into the alleged deals of close associates of former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur, Punjab jails and cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Sunday questioned the political misuse of the vigilance bureau by successive governments in the state.

Sukhjinder Randhawa, who had offered to quit the cabinet last month over the botched-up probe by the special investigation team (SIT) into the Kotkapura police firing, stated that Sidhu had met Amarinder twice after which the latter said he offered to take him back into the cabinet. “If there was any inquiry against him (Sidhu), the CM should have said he cannot make him (Sidhu) a minister,” he said. (HT photo)

The cabinet minister said the misuse of vigilance bureau by the state governments for targeting or intimidating opponents should stop. This has been happening since 1977 when then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal got a case registered against Congress leaders, including Zail Singh, but nothing came out of it and then Capt (Amarinder Singh) and Badal also registered cases against each other during their respective governments, he told a private television channel, disapproving of the practice.

Randhawa, who had offered to quit the cabinet last month over the botched-up probe by the special investigation team (SIT) into the Kotkapura police firing, stated that Sidhu had met Amarinder twice after which the latter said he offered to take him back into the cabinet. “If there was any inquiry against him (Sidhu), the CM should have said he cannot make him (Sidhu) a minister,” he said.

As Sidhu has been targeting the chief minister on social media daily over his handling of the sacrilege and police firing cases among other issues, the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau has fast-tracked its probe against the close associates of the Sidhu couple.

Amid the Sidhu-Amarinder spat, Randhawa’s statement has come as much-needed support to the Amritsar (east) MLA at a time when seven other cabinet ministers have demanded his suspension from Congress for anti-party activities.

Confirming his meeting with Sidhu and some other MLAs in Panchkula more than a week ago, Randhawa said the former minister told him that he would not quit Congress. “There have been meetings to save the Congress, which is on the back foot, since the high court order in the 2015 police firing case,” he said, denying any differences with the chief minister at the same time.