After the opposition parties, the Congress MLAs have targeted the Punjab government over the appointment of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa’s son-in-law as Additional Advocate General.
According to a notification issued on Monday, Advocate Tarun Vir Singh Lehal has been appointed as Additional Advocate General in the office of Advocate General, Punjab on contractual basis subject to renewal on annual basis till March 31.
A day later, Congress MLA from Kadian Fateh Jung Bajwa has sought Randhawa’s resignation on moral grounds, daring him to leave “if he is a true Congressman”. Bajwa has also sought the intervention of senior party leadership, including Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu, as well as the removal of Lehal. The Qadian legislator alleged that the crucial appointment at the end of the government’s term was not ethical and could become a major election issue early next year.
A similar case had come to the fore in Punjab a few months back when Bajwa’s son Arjun was offered a government job on compassionate grounds. Then Randhawa opposed it.
“They created a ruckus and called it nepotism. He (Randhawa) now has to give an explanation for the people of Punjab,” Bajwa said, adding that Sidhu is asking “right questions” to party leaders who are “serving their families instead of serving the people of Punjab”.
Read also | Channi government lacks ‘political will’ to go after ‘compromising’ officers, says Navjot Sidhu
Bajwa’s son was given a job in Punjab Police, after which the then ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkar, Charanjit Channi and Razia Sultana besides Sunil Jakhar objected and asked Bajwa not to accept the government offer. Channi is now the chief minister, having taken over from Amarinder Singh in September after a power struggle in the party.
Lehal’s appointment comes days after Sidhu objected to key government appointments, including that of Advocate General APS Deol. He has been consistently targeting ministers as well as Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, alleging that he lacks “political will” to act against those accused in the 2015 sacrilege and police firing cases.
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