Chandigarh: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Punjab Bikram Singh Majithia on Saturday attacked the Chief Minister and the Congress after a large amount of cash was recovered from the house of a relative of Charanjit Singh Channi in an Enforcement Directorate raid. Majithia accused Chief Minister Channi of being involved in illegal sand mining in his constituency Chamkaur Sahib and demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
Majithia demanded a probe into illegal sand mining including forest land in Chamkaur Sahib, Channi’s assembly constituency. He alleged that the Chief Minister has looted the exchequer. “Channi has looted Rs 1,111 crore during his 111-day tenure,” the former Punjab minister alleged.
The senior SAD leader also released some audio recordings in which he tried to show that the chief minister was a partner of his relative in illegal sand mining. Hitting out at the Congress for filing a complaint with the Election Commission against the recent Enforcement Directorate raids, Majithia told the ruling party that it should have questioned the recovery of crores of rupees from the premises of Channi’s relative.
Talking to the media, Majithia said, “Instead of complaining to the Election Commission of India about the misuse of central agencies, the Congress should explain how such a huge amount of cash was recovered from the premises of Channi’s relative.” He questioned why the Congress party came to the rescue of Channi’s relative Bhupinder Singh Honey, who was allegedly running an illegal sand mining racket.
Meanwhile, the All India Congress Committee’s media in-charge for Punjab elections, Alka Lamba, dismissed Majithia’s allegations as “baseless”. Majithia tried to show Honey’s proximity to Channi through various purported photographs, and said that Honey was also provided security.
The SAD leader said the chief minister also holds the charge of the mining and environment department, adding that it was a conflict of interest and that “Chani has no moral right to continue in the post”. The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it seized over Rs 10 crore in cash, including around Rs 8 crore, from the premises of a relative of Channi during raids in connection with a money laundering probe related to illegal sand-mining in the election state of Punjab. Is .
The Congress had termed the Enforcement Directorate’s raids at some places, including the whereabouts of a relative of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, motivated by politics and vendetta. The Congress had on Thursday complained to the Election Commission requesting it to take action against the officials of the Enforcement Directorate involved in the raids.