SSP transfers in Punjab: Opposition seeks probe into kickback charge

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10

With the two-month-old Charanjit singh Channi government having maintained a studied silence on the allegations of kickbacks in SSP transfers, allegedly levelled by minister Rana Gurjeet Singh at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, the Opposition AAP and SAD have sought an independent probe into the “serious” matter.

Conduct high-level probe

It is clear the CM chose to become party to the case and is trying to brush it under the carpet. We demand a high-level probe into the matter. — Sukhbir Singh Badal, SAD Chief

What happened to transparency

CM Channi, who projected himself to be the leader of the common man, is answerable on the posting of police officers done by his government. — Harpal Cheema, Leader of opposition

The Cabinet meeting had seen fireworks as Deputy CM and Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa was engaged in heated arguments with Technical Education Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh over allegations of kickbacks in SSP postings levelled by the latter. With the Assembly elections round the corner, the minister’s allegations against his Cabinet colleague are not being taken lightly by the senior party leadership.

The issue was raised at a meeting chaired by Punjab affairs incharge Harish Chaudhary at the CM’s residence last night. While Randhawa has not reacted on the issue, his associates claim the Kapurthala SSP had been posted with Rana’s consent and the real issue was strengthening of the cooperative sugar mills in Batala and Gurdaspur.

Sources pointed out that as per the standing orders during former CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s tenure, the matter of SSP postings rested with the CM.

“When the Home Minister has rebutted and challenged the kickback allegations, the questions remains who is pulling the strings in transfers,” said a senior party leader. The issue of the new Malerkotla SSP meeting Capt Amarinder, raised by minister Razia Sultana, also pointed to the powers that be in the Congress government maintaining cordial ties with the former CM.

Raising the issue, AAP leader Harpal Cheema said CM Channi, who projected himself to be the leader of the common man, was answerable on the posting of police officers done by his government. SAD leader Bikramjit Majithia said: “It is shocking a Cabinet minister has accused the Home Minister of pocketing bribe from police officers. The same accusations were made earlier also in the case of posting of Commissioners of Police”.

Majithia said nepotism had touched such heights that all police officers who had been changed after 120 persons were killed in the hooch tragedy in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts were back in their old postings. He said similarly, ASI Sarabjit Singh, who was accused of selling extra neutral alcohol in Rajpura, had been reposted there.

Meanwhile, at an event in Ropar, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said it was condemnable that despite the fact that the minister had made the accusation at a Cabinet meeting, no probe had been ordered into the corruption case. “It is clear the CM chose to become party to the case and was trying to brush it under the carpet,” he said, demanding a high-level probe into the incident as well as registration of a criminal case against those involved. Lashing out at Channi over issuing directions to the police to play Gurbani loudly during protests at the CM’s public meetings, he said Channi could not suppress people voice for justice by resorting to such actions and this smacked of “sacrilege”.