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Randhawa orders probe into ‘ISI link’ of Capt’s woman friend from Pak; baseless, says ex-CM
Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa on Friday said the government will probe whether Aroosa Alam, a defence journalist from Pakistan and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s friend, has any links with the Inter Services Intelligence
Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Randhawa on Friday said the government will probe whether Aroosa Alam, a defence journalist from Pakistan and former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s friend, has any links with the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), that country’s spy agency.
Randhawa, who also holds charge of home department, announced this on Twitter.
“Have given directions to DGP Punjab to probe Aroosa Alam’s alleged links with ISI. Aroosa was given shelter at Chief Minister’s government residence by Captain saab even as he was repeatedly alerted throughout four and half years against it,” said Randhawa in the tweet.
Singh hit back immediately, saying Randhawa was now resorting to personal attacks. “You were a minister in my cabinet@Sukhjinder_INC. Never heard you complain about Aroosa Alam. And she’d been coming for 16 years with due GoI clearances. Or are you alleging that both NDA and @INC India led UPA govts in this period connived with Pak ISI?” the former chief minister’s media adviser quoted him as saying on Twitter.
The Congress has stepped up its attack on Singh after his announcement that he would leave the party, form a new one, contest the coming state elections, and have an understanding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress first appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the president of its Punjab unit against Singh’s wishes, and subsequently forced him to resign as chief minister.
Randhawa was not available for comment to clarify his tweet, although he also made a reference to Alam on Thursday in an interaction with the press, and pointedly said Singh has been raising concerns about drones from Pakistan dropping weapons and drugs across the border in Punjab.
On Friday, Singh added, “So now you’re resorting to personal attacks @Sukhjinder_INC. One month after taking over this is all you have to show to the people. What happened to your tall promises on Bargari & drugs cases? Punjab is still waiting for your promised action.” He said instead of focusing on maintaining law and order, the deputy chief minister has put the DGP on a “baseless investigation”.
Singh has repeatedly raised the security issue and said that Sidhu is a threat to the country’s security because of his close relationship with the ISI and Pakistan.
This is not the first time that Alam’s name has been dragged into Punjab politics. In August this year, Sidhu’s then advisor Malvinder Singh Mali , too, did so in a Facebook post.
(With agency inputs)
