Punjab minister Sukhjinder Randhawa guns for officials after Saini fiasco

Wants state advocate general, home secretary and VB chief removed for professional incompetence that led to ex-DGP’s release in 24 hours

Punjab jails and cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has demanded the removal of advocate general Atul Nanda, home secretary Anurag Agarwal and Vigilance Bureau chief director BK Uppal over the fiasco in former director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini’s arrest by the bureau.

Punjab jails and cooperation minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (left), who backed state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu (right) in the recent power struggle, has been critical of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his aides over unfulfilled poll promises, particularly the delay in action in the 2015 sacrilege and police firing cases. (Sameer Sehgal/HT file photo)

Randhawa tweeted, “In view of the fiasco in Sumedh Singh Saini case, I urge chief minister @capt_amarinder to immediately remove Advocate General, Home Secretary and Chief Director Vigilance, for their professional incompetence”. He also tagged former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu in his tweet.

Responding to Randhawa’s remarks, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh advised all cabinet and party colleagues to check facts before issuing statements. “I suggest they should discuss all issues, specially sensitive ones, either with me or on the @INCPunjab platform before going public,” the CM said in a tweet posted by his media adviser.

Saini walks free after HC intervenes

Randhawa’s scathing comment came after the Vigilance Bureau was ordered by the Punjab and Haryana high court to release the former DGP, just over 24 hours after he was arrested. Saini was arrested by the bureau in a land fraud case on Wednesday night. He had gone to the bureau office to join investigation in a corruption case as directed by the high court.

His immediate release was ordered around midnight by the bench of justice Arun Kumar Tyagi in an application moved in a 2018 petition. Saini walked free at 2am on Friday.

Critical of CM for delay in sacrilege cases

Randhawa has been critical of Capt Amarinder Singh and his aides over unfulfilled poll promises, particularly the delay in action in the 2015 sacrilege and police firing cases. He is among the senior ministers who had backed Sidhu in his tussle with the chief minister.