At swearing-in, Cong MLA hits out at govt

Our Correspondent
Ferozepur, January 12

Congress MLA from Zira Kulbir Singh today alleged partial functioning of the official machinery and boycotted the district-level function organised to administer the oath of office to newly elected members of panchayats, panchayat samitis and the zila parishads at grain market here.

This happened in the presence of Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, who had specially come to attend the oath-taking ceremony. Kulbir lambasted the state government machinery and questioned their integrity, while brandishing copies of an FIR which he claimed had been registered against a sarpanch on flimsy grounds.

While refusing to be part of the process to administer oath to sarpanches and other newly elected members of block samitis and zila parishads, Kulbir said he could not ask them to take “bogus” oath in an environment where the lawmakers had virtually become lawbreakers. Kulbir also accused some SHOs of being hand-in-glove with liquor contractors, adding that he would not tolerate any injustice.

Kulbir alleged that cases registered against some liquor traders having allegiance to Akali leaders had been cancelled, and on the other hand Congress workers were being harassed.

All efforts to placate the young MLA went futile as he immediately left the stage after his vociferous address much to be embarrassment of other party MLAs and district officials present on the dais. While talking to The Tribune, Kulbir justified his action saying that he was left with no other option but to raise these issues on public platform.

While talking to mediapersons, Manpreet said it was a serious matter and he would take it up during the next Cabinet meeting.