Chandigarh: A day after Rashim Garg, an in depth aide of Aam Aadmi Occasion MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta, was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau whereas allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4 lakh, the Opposition on Friday united in opposition to the Bhagwant Mann authorities and demanded the arrest of the MLA.
Garg was arrested from the Bathinda Circuit Home on Thursday night within the presence of the MLA, who was additionally questioned within the matter.
In line with the vigilance bureau, Garg acquired Rs 4 lakh from Pritpal Kumar, husband of Seema Rani, who’s the sarpanch of Ghuda village in Bathinda for the discharge of a grant of Rs 25 lakh for the village panchayat. The bureau recovered the cash from Garg’s automobile, which was parked contained in the Circuit Home. Rattan is the MLA from Bathinda Rural.
Whereas Rattan, in a video message Friday, stated that Garg was not his private assistant and he had nothing to do with the case of corruption, opposition events alleged that Garg was accepting the bribe on behalf of the MLA.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Pritpal Kumar stated he first met the MLA within the Circuit Home and instructed him that he had introduced the cash. Later, the MLA requested him handy over the cash to Garg, Kumar stated.
“It is rather clear from the assertion issued by the complainant that the bribe cash was meant for the MLA. The AAP authorities claims to be very trustworthy however that is the third case the place they’ve come to the rescue of their MLA. First, it was Vijay Singla who, regardless of having been faraway from the put up of a minister, was not prosecuted in accordance with the legislation. Then, one other minister, Fauja Singh Sarari, additionally was eliminated as minister however no motion has been initiated in opposition to him. Now, it’s Rattan,” stated Chief of the Opposition Pratap Singh Bajwa.
A video of Garg’s arrest was broadly shared on social media.
Speaking to reporters at Adampur, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that there was a video recording of the MLA demanding a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from the sarpanch’s husband earlier than cash was handed over to Garg.
“It was abhorrent that the AAP authorities had acquired into rescue mode instantly to save lots of their MLA. This might have solely been accomplished on orders of the chief minister or Arvind Kejriwal,” stated Badal.
The SAD president stated that his get together uncovered Rattan when he was with the Akali Dal. “We shaped a high-powered committee beneath the chairmanship of Sikandar Singh Maluka to probe complaints from scores of farmers and get together employees who gave proof that Rattan had taken lakhs of rupees from them and was not returning the identical. It was as a consequence of this that Rattan was summarily expelled from the SAD after which he was picked up by the AAP and given a celebration ticket within the 2022 meeting elections,” stated Badal.
Demanding the fast arrest of the AAP MLA and an neutral probe into the whole incident in addition to different alleged fraudulent actions of Rattan, Badal stated: “It’s sure that Rattan has collected bribes from different individuals additionally, together with village panchayats. This must be probed to make sure justice to those that have been defrauded by the hands of this corrupt MLA.”
Congress chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira tweeted that the AAP’s Delhi management was not permitting the MLA to be arrested.
“I’m instructed there’s a severe tussle between @raghav_chadha & @BhagwantMann over arrest of Aap Mla Amit Rattan as he’s acquired his blessings & ticket from Delhi foyer by paying hefty quantity. How can govt not arrest Mla after categorical assertion by criticism?” he tweeted.
I’m instructed there’s a severe tussle between @raghav_chadha & @BhagwantMann over arrest of Aap Mla Amit Rattan as he’s acquired his blessings & ticket from Delhi foyer by paying hefty quantity. How can govt not arrest Mla after categorical assertion by criticism?-Khaira @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/yxwtmiR4hP
— Sukhpal Singh Khaira (@SukhpalKhaira) February 17, 2023
Regardless of the a number of assaults on the Mann authorities over the difficulty, there was no official assertion with regard to the MLA from both the get together or the Punjab authorities.