chandigarh:
AAP leader Raghav Chadha said on Monday that Punjab governor BL Purohit has asked the state police chief to investigate the alleged illegal sand mining racket in the state.
He said Governor Purohit ordered a high-level investigation after an Aam Aadmi party delegation recently presented him with a memorandum asking for his intervention for the registration of an FIR in the “multi-layer illegal sand mining racket” in the state.
AAP’s Punjab unit welcomes Governor Purohit’s decision, Chadha told reporters on Monday.
The governor has ordered the director-general of the Punjab police to conduct a high-level investigation into the allegations of illegal sand mining, he said.
In a communication addressed to Punjab DGP VK Bhawra, Governor Chief Secretary JM Balamurugan wrote: “I have been instructed by the Honorable Governor to forward a statement dated January 24, submitted by Raghav Chadha of Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab .” “I have been instructed to request that you conduct a top-level investigation into this matter. Action taken in this matter may be so kind as to inform this office,” Mr Balamurugan wrote to the DGP.
This communication has been shared by the AAP with the media here.
Mr Chadha, meanwhile, appealed to the DGP and Punjab police not to come under any political pressure and to register an FIR in the case after a fair and independent investigation into the whole matter.
Mr Chadha said: “We had already exposed the sand mafia in Chamkaur Sahib, Chief Minister Channi’s constituency”.
He said the AAP will monitor the investigation by the Punjab Police as it is a very serious matter.
He also targeted the chief minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi, for the recent seizure of cash of more than Rs 10 crore, including about Rs 8 crore from a relative of the CM, in raids conducted by the central agency during an investigation towards an anti-money laundering case against illegal sand mining operators in the state tied to the elections.
Mr Channi has categorically denied any connection to his relative’s case and accused political opponents of conducting a “defamatory and misleading” campaign against him.
“When the people of Chamkaur Sahib sought answers to the illegal sand mining, Channi ji went to Bhadaur to contest the polls from the second seat. But we want to tell him that our party candidate will win from Chamkaur Sahib and Channi will be defeated by the Bhadaur’s AAP nominee too,” he said.
Mr Chadha said people will not be the winners whose relative million rupees have been seized by the ED.
“If during 111 days of CM’s tenure, if crores are seized from one family member, he cannot wash his hands from this. These are the people who looted Punjab and that’s why we seek one chance of people to bring a fair government to power to bring and strengthen the hands of AAP,” he said.
In response to a question about the president of the Punjab Congress, Mr Chadha claimed, “Navjot Sidhu’s sole aim is to become the prime minister, he is not concerned about the welfare of the people of Punjab.