Chandigarh:
The BJP has joined the decision for demanding the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over allegations that his spouse, Gurpreet Kaur, sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case.
Leaders of different Opposition events in Punjab together with the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress have additionally demanded the resignation of the chief minister, who heads a authorities run by the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP).
“The NHRC discover is a really critical matter. The allegations are additionally very critical. Nothing lower than an unbiased investigation will do,” BJP chief Iqbal Singh Lalpura stated as we speak.
He was referring to a discover despatched by the Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC) to the Punjab authorities and its police chief over a grievance alleging that Mann’s spouse sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case. The NHRC has sought a report inside two weeks.
“The complainant alleged {that a} retired choose publicly said {that a} demand of Rs 5 crore was made in reference to a rape case, allegedly involving the spouse of the chief minister of Punjab,” the NHRC proceedings stated.
After the controversy erupted, Gurpreet Kaur despatched a authorized discover to former Punjab choose Justice Ranjit Singh, who NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo stated had given the grievance. The previous choose can also be the brother-in-law of Congress chief Sukhpal Khaira.
“It’s straightforward to make allegations and baseless claims, however we’re absolutely ready to face all such accusations head-on. I’ve by no means been intimidated up to now and won’t be intimidated now. Anybody talking in opposition to me ought to first get their information straight, in any other case, they need to be ready to face authorized notices and authorized motion,” Gurpreet Kaur stated.
The Shiromani Akali Dal, too, has demanded the resignation of the chief minister over the large controversy that erupted months earlier than elections are scheduled in Punjab. The BJP and the Akali Dal are more likely to contest as allies.
“Now we have directed the chief secretary and the DGP of Punjab to analyze the matter and submit a report back to us. Now we have additionally knowledgeable the ladies’s security division of the Union Ministry of Dwelling Affairs,” Kanoongo stated.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring stated Mann should make clear the matter instantly. “The chief minister ought to give his clarification on the difficulty. Why such allegations have been levelled, what’s the matter, he ought to make clear,” he stated.
The AAP girls wing chief Amandeep Kaur Arora dismissed the allegations as baseless and cited the authorized motion the chief minister’s spouse has initiated.
“When lies cross all limits, the response needs to be not solely political but additionally authorized. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s brother-in-law, Ranjit Singh, not too long ago levelled false allegations in opposition to Dr Gurpreet Kaur. She has despatched him a authorized discover, asking him to apologise inside 24 hours, failing which he’ll face authorized proceedings in court docket,” Arora instructed reporters.
She alleged a political agenda behind the controversy, saying the Akali Dal and the BJP have “grow to be determined” because the AAP authorities has “carried out a lot work in Punjab over the previous four-and-a-half years that they haven’t any reply to it.”
