Bajwa accuses Amarinder of nepotism, seeks AG’s sacking

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

The factional war within the Punjab Congress has taken a new turn with Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa accusing Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of nepotism in the appointment of state Advocate General Atul Nanda. He demanded Nanda’s sacking in the interest of the state.

Bajwa, in an open letter to the Chief Minister on Friday, alleged Nanda was appointed as the Punjab AG because he was close to Capt Amarinder.

Bajwa’s latest attack on Capt Amarinder comes days after Cabinet ministers sought disciplinary action against the Rajya Sabha member saying he was undermining his own CM by attacking him publicly.

Bajwa had retorted, saying he would not be browbeaten into silence and that he was solely responsible to the people of the state.

In his letter, Bajwa escalated the attack on Capt Amarinder, accusing him for the first time of a charge as grave as nepotism.

“Nepotism is against the interests of the state and the appointment of Atul Nanda as Advocate General, Punjab, is a perfect example, as his appointment had been solely guided by his proximity to you. The incompetence of the Advocate General to defend the interests of the state effectively is reflected in the repeated failures faced in courts. I would urge you to immediately sack the Advocate General in the interest of Punjab and appoint a competent person in his place,” Bajwa said in the letter he made public.

The MP, who is a former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president, cited a series of “failures” during Nanda’s term.

“To date (for two years), the sealed reports submitted by the STF chief and the court-appointed SIT have not been opened. The reports would expose those responsible for the drug menace in Punjab,” alleged Bajwa.

He said it was the anti-drug agenda that brought the Congress back to power in the 2017 Assembly elections.

“The state government’s inability to tackle the menace has filled the public with resentment. As a result, the public has lost faith in the police machinery and is turning violent,” Bajwa said.

He also cited the defeat of Punjab in the Supreme Court in a case related to the transportation of coal, causing loss of thousands of crores to the state exchequer.

Bajwa also mentioned an HC order shutting down all tanneries in Jalandhar.