Amid questions about his alleged links with individuals named by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an influence-peddling racket in the Punjab government, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, secretary-cum-officer on special duty (OSD) to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday challenged Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia to show evidence of his involvement or tender a public apology.
He also threatened the Akali leader with legal action for defamation.
Taking to social media to lash out at his detractors, Ghuman, who had remained incommunicado after the ED’s letter surfaced last week, said, “I openly challenge Majithia, who has appointed himself as the spokesperson of the ED, that if he has even a single chat of mine or any evidence of me asking anyone for money, he should make it public. Either bring the evidence before the people or publicly apologise. Otherwise, be prepared to face a defamation case.”
Ghuman further said the real problem for the opposition was that children of ordinary families had risen to positions of responsibility and that the political dominance of those who had ruled Punjab for years was now being challenged. “He (Majithia) is actually troubled by how youth from ordinary families have come forward and their turns of forming government have been broken. When they cannot challenge us for our work, they have now resorted to lies and character assassination,” Ghuman added, breaking his silence on the controversy on the very day Mann also gave his first reaction to the federal agency’s communication.
The ED, in its damning letter to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, had sought an FIR against private person Nitin Gohal and others for allegedly using their influence to interfere in government functioning. The communication also alleged that Gohal acted as an intermediary between interested persons and Ghuman, and was involved in influencing transfers and postings of government officials, leaking confidential documents, facilitating arms licences and securing government approvals in lieu of alleged monetary and other benefits. Majithia, a known critic of the AAP government, was among the first to share the contents of the federal agency’s letter on social media and target the state government.
{{/usCountry}}The ED, in its damning letter to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, had sought an FIR against private person Nitin Gohal and others for allegedly using their influence to interfere in government functioning. The communication also alleged that Gohal acted as an intermediary between interested persons and Ghuman, and was involved in influencing transfers and postings of government officials, leaking confidential documents, facilitating arms licences and securing government approvals in lieu of alleged monetary and other benefits. Majithia, a known critic of the AAP government, was among the first to share the contents of the federal agency’s letter on social media and target the state government.
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