Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia today asked the State Advocate General to issue a suo-moto criminal contempt notice to chief minister Bhagwant Mann for casting aspersions on the judiciary by asserting that the PCS (Judicial) examination, which is conducted under the supervision of the Punjab and Haryana high court, had been conducted transparently for the first time in history.
Addressing a press conference here, the senior SAD leader said it was shocking that the chief minister had accused the high court of not conducting the PCS (Judiciary) paper in a transparent manner earlier. “Since as per Article 234 of the constitution the high court exercises jurisdiction over the PCS (Judicial) examination, the chief minister has cast aspersions on the honesty of the court and criminal contempt proceedings should be initiated against him. If the Advocate General does not fulfil this responsibility the SAD will move the chief justice of the high court and seek action against the chief minister as per law”, he said.
Bikram Majithia also spoke on how the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was not obeying the directions of the high court and not proceeding against the kingpins behind the illegal mining trade in the State. He said in Ropar despite an application being moved against illegal mining being done at the instance of education minister Harjot Bains, the SSP Vivek Sheel Soni was not taking any action in the matter.
He said the situation had deteriorated to such an extent that a truck union president – Bir Singh and his relative Najjar Singh had been attacked yesterday simply because they opposed the illegal mining being done by the minister. He said even the articles of faith of the victims were insulted.
Asserting that the Ropar SSP was refusing to take action against illegal mining despite receiving a rap from the high court for not taking action against the kingpins of the trade, Majithia gave another example of how despite registration of a case against the New Sutlej Stone Crusher, its owners had been shown as unknown. He also displayed videos showing how craters had been formed on forest land by illegal miners, adding that Harjot Bain’s uncle Bachittar Bains was indulging in widespread illegal mining in Ropar.