Shiromani Akali Dal senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia has further sharpened his attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the CBI investigation involving Mann’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and five others, accusing the Chief Minister of being the “real kingpin” behind an alleged network of middlemen.
Majithia sarcastically questioned Mann’s claim that the CBI had effectively given Ghuman a clean chit after its searches.
“If the CBI has given Rajbir Ghuman a clean chit, then why is there so much hue and cry?” Majithia asked, arguing that the government could not simultaneously describe the CBI action as politically motivated and claim that the agency had found nothing.
He then delivered his sharpest political barb, saying he would personally shower flowers on CBI when all the alleged “cronies” of Mann are arrested by the agency.
“I have been saying this from day one: a Look Out Circular should be issued,” Majithia said. He claimed that many of the people involved were NRIs or had family members settled abroad and alleged that there was a possibility that those facing investigation could leave the country.
Instead, he alleged, Mann had “sheltered” people including Rajbir Ghuman, Romi Mahajan, Nitin Goyal, Jitin Goyal and Bir Devinder, and had allegedly strengthened their position by giving them authority and influence.
CBI action turns political battle explosive
The allegations come after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the CBI to investigate corruption allegations arising from material submitted by the Enforcement Directorate. The CBI subsequently registered a case against Ghuman and five others and conducted searches at eight locations across Punjab and Chandigarh.
The accused named in the CBI FIR are Rajbir Ghuman, Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder and RS Nagra.
The CBI is investigating allegations involving influence over postings and transfers of IAS and IPS officers, departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land use conversion and property and revenue related disputes.
The agency also searched the Punjab Chief Minister’s camp office, besides premises linked to Ghuman and other accused.
The Mann government has challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court, arguing against the transfer of the investigation to the CBI and maintaining that central agencies are being used to target the elected Punjab government.
‘Clean chit’ claim questioned
Majithia said that if Mann was confident that the CBI had found nothing incriminating, the government should have no reason to be worried about the investigation. The Opposition leader is seeking to make the CBI action a direct test of Mann’s “staunch honest” political image.
AAP came to power in Punjab on a strong anti corruption platform and presented itself as an alternative to the traditional political parties. Majithia is now attempting to turn that branding against the government by describing the Mann administration as “staunch corrupt”. The political battle has intensified because the state government itself has approached the Supreme Court against the CBI probe.
Gharachon flowers become another political flashpoint
The CBI searches also triggered an unusual episode in Gharachon, Ghuman’s native village in Sangrur.
As the CBI team left after conducting its search, a person reportedly showered flower petals on the agency’s vehicle. Videos from the village showed people welcoming the CBI officials with flowers, sweets and dhol beats.
The Punjab Police detained the person who showered petals on the CBI vehicle. The SHO of the concerned police station was also suspended for alleged negligence of duty.
Majithia has questioned this police action and compared it with the confrontation during the ED’s GMADA searches.
He alleged that when AAP workers protested against the ED action and allegedly pelted stones at ED vehicles, there was no comparable action against them.
His question was why a person showering flowers on a CBI vehicle was detained and an SHO suspended, while those allegedly involved in stone pelting against ED vehicles were not subjected to similar action.
Ghuman fails to appear before CBI
The controversy has also intensified after Ghuman did not appear before the CBI despite being summoned for questioning.
The CBI had directed him to appear at its Chandigarh office. The Punjab government, however, said Ghuman had not received the summons.
His central argument is that the government cannot claim both that the CBI has given its key functionary a clean chit and that the entire investigation is politically motivated, while the agency is simultaneously pursuing a detailed corruption case.
And with Majithia declaring that he will personally shower flowers on CBI vehicles when Mann’s alleged “cronies” are arrested, the political war over the CBI investigation has acquired a new and highly charged dimension.