BIKRAM S MAJITHIA QUESTIONED AAP OVER ITS MINISTER SARARI’S EXTORTION TAPE

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Monday demanded a CBI inquiry into the AAP minister Fauja Singh Sarari’s extortion tape. Referring to an audio tape listing Sarari’s conversation with his OSD, Bikram Majithia said the minister was caught discussing a plan to trap some officials and extort money from them. “The OSD has stated on record that the audio tape is genuine, and now it is up to the government to hand over the tape as well as the entire set of allegations against Sarari to the CBI so that they can be probed thoroughly”.

Demanding chief minister Bhagwant Mann explain why no action had been taken against Sarari, Majithia said “in the case of former health minister Vijay Kumar Singla, the chief minister had asserted that he had seen a video which indicted Singla and that this was why he was sacking him besides registering a case in the matter”. The SAD leader said, “The Chief Minister as well as AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal should not maintain double standards on corruption.” He demanded the immediate sacking of Sarari and the registration of a criminal case against him.

Asserting that the AAP government had even taken a u-turn in Vijay Singla’s case, Majithia said the former minister, who had been disowned earlier, was not a regular in all party meetings. “Moreover, the video on the basis of which he was sacked is yet to be presented in court. He has also not been charge-sheeted in the case.”

Majithia also highlighted how Sarari was also involved in illegal mining and that this revelation was also in the public domain but the AAP government was not taking any action against him. Answering a question, Majithia said the government was still bent on shielding those who had publicised the withdrawal of security of famous singer Sidhu Moosewala.

He said no action was being taken in this regard despite a surcharged demand from even the late singer’s mother. “These people include Media Director Baltej Pannu and Media Coordinator Ayushi Saraswat”.

Replying to another query on NIA raids, Majithia said, “It is clear that the present government has failed on the law and order front and this is why the NIA has conducted raids in the State to strike at those who have links with gangsters.”