A delegation of the Punjab BJP on Saturday urged the Election Commission of India to order an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the state excise policy, which it claimed was framed along the lines of the one for Delhi.
The delegation, led by state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar and comprising Union minister Som Parkash, former union minister Vijay Sampla, former state unit chiefs Ashwani Sharma and Manoranjan Kalia, MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan, national executive member Harjit Singh, state general secretary Parminder Brar and others, handed over A memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer Sibin C in this regard.
The delegation claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had come up with the Punjab Excise Policy, on the lines of Delhi Excise Policy, with the devious motive of illegally benefiting a select few.
In the memorandum, Jakhar said, “The need of this probe assumes significance in the backdrop of the courts not only refusing bail to the already arrested Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, cabinet minister Satyender Jain and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, but also registering strong observations against the Delhi CM while acknowledging the establishment of kickbacks and money trail in the Delhi Excise Policy.”
“In Punjab, where the Bhagwant Mann-led government acted at the behest of its Delhi masters, now behind bars, to allow official plunder of Punjab’s resources, there is apprehension that the state has lost at least ₹1,000 crore in revenue due to this favouritism and illegality perpetrated through Punjab excise policy,” the memorandum stated.
“One such company whose proprietor is behind bars already for receiving illegal benefits under the Delhi Excise Policy was handpicked and awarded 40% share in Punjab liquor trade after the inception of AAP government in the state. This might just be the tip of the iceberg as far as blatant connivance of Bhagwant Mann-led government in appropriating the liquor trade in Punjab is concerned,” Jakhar further stated.
“The probe will not only unearth corruption by AAP in Punjab but also be a step to ensure an end to further eroding of Punjab’s taxpayers’ money at the hands of this regime,” said Jakhar, adding that officers of Punjab excise department had been coerced to sign on dotted lines by the AAP’s state leadership.
Why no action against CM Mann, asks Sukhbir
Jalandhar: Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was at Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village in Khatkar Kalan, on Saturday asked why no action was taken against Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann for the state’s excise policy aimed at benefitting a handful of contractors.
“The Punjab excise policy was framed on the lines of the Delhi policy. The same people, including chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, framed the Punjab excise policy. I even gave details of the meetings which took place to frame the Punjab excise policy in Delhi. The policy resulted in hundreds of crores being looted from the Punjab treasury by AAP,” he said.
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