Punjab Election 2022: Majithia accuses CM Channi of illegal sand mining; Sidhu hits back
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia today accused Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi of being hand in gloves with Bhupinder Honey, said to be a relative of the CM. Addressing a press conference, Majithia said that the Enforcement Directorate raid on the residence of CM Channi’s relative proved that corruption is going on under the Congress rule. “ED recovered Rs 10 crore cash and gold. Instead of acting against it, Congress high command is complaining to the Election Commission,” said Majithia.
He also alleged that Bhupinder Honey was a money minting machine for the CM and was even felicitated by the CM himself. Majithia claimed that Congress leader Harish Chaudhary is also complicit in the corrupt acts of CM Channi. He claimed that Chaudhary wrote to the EC because he is afraid of getting caught if a probe is instituted.
The Akali Dal leader also alleged that illegal sand mining is being done on behalf of CM Channi in his constituency Chamkaur Sahib. It may be recalled that AAP leader Raghav Chadha had also claimed to have exposed illegal sand mining in the Chamkaur Sahib constituency. Playing a sting video of a Congress leader accepting corruption, Majithia claimed that the sting was done after Channi took over as the CM of Punjab. He claimed that the police is not taking action in the case fearing the CM.
However, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu hit back at Majithia saying that a person who is accused of drugs is talking about corruption. He alleged that the Akali Dal had brought a policy in 2015 that truck carrying sands will have rate, weight and date specifications but was not implemented.
Sidhu claimed that a five-point program proposed by him will stop illegal sand mining. He said that the government should declare all sand a government property, fix the rate of sand, make a sand stockyard of the government from where trucks of specific colours will be used to transport sands and booking should be online. Sidhu also said that the government should make a rule that the trucks involved in illegal sand mining would be impounded. He also said that it’s not sand mafia but transport mafia. He claimed that it’s a sector of 3000 to 5000 crore rupees.