Chandigarh, February 4
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann said that the Congress government was completely under the control of mafias and the mafia had government protection for doing illegal business of sand and drugs. The Congress gave Punjab two dishonest chief ministers during its five-year rule. The previous Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh included and patronized many mafia people in his cabinet. The second Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi himself used to run the sand mafia through his relatives. Mann expressed these views while responding to the queries of the press during his election campaign on Friday.
Mann slammed both, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Mann said that Captain ruined Punjab to save the Congress party. He himself accepted that to save the honour of Congress, he did not take any action against the leaders accused of mafia. This clearly means that Captain Amarinder Singh, while being the Chief Minister, gave priority to his party Congress and ignored the problems and troubles of the people.
On the arrest of Chief Minister Channi’s nephew by the ED, Mann said that Channi has confessed that he failed to keep an eye on the corruption of his family. It clearly means that his family and relatives were corrupt and earned crores of rupees through sand mafia and transfer-posting. Mann said that Chief Minister Channi only pretends to be a common man. The common man does not have unaccounted crores of rupees. After coming to power, Channi made himself as well as many of his close friends and relatives millionaires.
Mann said Honey was not only the nephew of Chief Minister Channi, he was also his business partner. Through him (Honey) all the money used to reach Channi. Honey was present with him on every occasion. Chief Minister Channi had provided him Black Cat commando security. He questioned that when his nephew Honey was not holding any constitutional post, then in what capacity he was given high level security. This clearly means that Chief Minister Channi himself used to earn money with the help of his nephew.
On being asked about the political vendetta behind the ED raids on CM Channi, Mann said that they are not denying the possibility of it but the question rises that ED did not bring cash, jewellery and properties papers with them. All these things were seized from the house of CM Channi’s nephew Honey. He added that ED conducted similar raids on Arvind Kejriwal too and didn’t find anything because that is the difference between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress. AAP facilitate people with public money and Congress leaders amass public money in their homes. He said that the people of Punjab will answer these acts of corruption and loot with the power of their vote.
