Leader of the Opposition in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Monday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been forced to climb down from the high horse it was riding and arrest its own former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar following sustained pressure from the Opposition.
Bajwa expressed gratitude to Congress workers and Members of Parliament Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and Dharamvira Gandhi for forcefully raising the issue in the Parliament and ensuring that the matter received national attention.
He asserted that the arrest of Bhullar was not voluntary, but compelled by external pressure. Bajwa claimed that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann acted only after Union Home Minister Amit Shah indicated that a CBI inquiry would be ordered into the matter.
Bajwa said he has personally written to the Chief Justice of India, requesting the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the case and order a court-monitored investigation to ensure justice and transparency. Holding CM Mann directly responsible, Bajwa said that as the Cooperation Minister, Mann cannot escape accountability in the tragic death of a young officer, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa.
He pointed out that the deceased had written to the Managing Director of Warehousing and the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, detailing the harassment he was facing at the hands of Minister Bhullar. “Despite these serious complaints, no action was taken.
This administrative inaction and political protection ultimately led to a tragic loss of life,” Bajwa said in a statement. He reiterated that the truth must come out and those responsible, irrespective of their position, must be held accountable. Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order a CBI probe into the death of Warehousing Corporation district manager Gagandeep Singh Randhawa.
Randhawa was forced to take the extreme step of ending his life following physical and mental harassment at the hands of AAP leader Laljit Bhullar. Reacting to a statement by the Home Minister in the Parliament in which he asserted that the Centre would order a probe into the incident if MPs from Punjab made a formal representation in this regard, Harsimrat Badal also urged other MPs from Punjab to make similar formal requests to bring out the truth in the case.
“Given the gravity of the matter and the serious charges of political interference, it is imperative that the investigation be entrusted to an independent agency. Only a CBI probe can ensure an impartial investigation and restore faith among the victim’s family and the public,” she said.