Chandigarh, October 11 : Charging AAP leader Kanwar Sandhu with spreading lies by alleging a Congress-Akali nexus on the mining issue, Punjab Congress today accused him of indulging in such fabrications and deceptions to divert public attention from the various personal and professional favours he has been taking from SAD over the years.
Demanding from him an explanation on the multiple favours he had garnered, including his son’s backdoor admission and subsequent appointment as PCMS doctor, senior Punjab Congress leaders rubbished `Golka Chor’ Sandhu’s statement on illegal mining as baseless and illogical.
The Congress leaders trashed the statement by Sandhu, the Punjab Dialogue Committee AAP chairman, and Punjab AAP convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich as a bundle of lies. Pointing out that mining auctions were open to everyone, they questioned the logic of terming the mining business as illegal and a case of collusion between the Congress and Akalis.
In a joint statement issued here, PPCC leaders Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Amrik Singh Dhillon and Baldev Singh Sidhu said that there is no question of illegal mining as contracts are auctioned by the Industries Department of the state government.
The PPCC leaders further stated that instead of indulging in false allegations and asking for explanation from them, Sandhu should first explain how he had been managing to get undue favours from the Akali government over the years.
Raising serious questions about Sandhu’s credibility, they asked, “how did his son get admission through the NRI quota in the SGPC-run Medical College in Amritsar.” “Hadn’t he sought favours from the then SGPC president, Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was embroiled in a controversy over the death of her daughter?,” the Congress leaders further asked. They questioned Sandhu’s failure to pay his son’s education fee, asking, “Isn’t it true that he was served several notices for the same.”
The PPCC leaders pointed out that Sandhu’s son was appointed a doctor (Punjab Civil Medical Service) in the state government during the Akali regime. “But soon after, the PCMS recruitment scam hit the media headlines and came under a scanner. The matter also went to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Apprehending that his son would face action due to the fact that he made it to the PCMS by taking undue favours and not on merit, Sandhu made his son resign after one year of service,” they added.
The PPCC leaders said that Sandhu also got a plot allotted in Medicity Chandigarh in an illegitimate manner. “Sandhu should also explain why he took favours in the form of a plot in Medicity, which later turned out to be the infamous Chandigarh Medicity scam,” they demanded.
Instead of leveling false allegations out of sheer political compulsions, Sandhu should first come clean on all the above-mentioned issues and should make public details of all the benefits he has taken from the Akalis, the Congress leaders demanded.