On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of protecting a state minister involved in alleged sexual misconduct with a boy, demanding his removal from the cabinet. According to the BJP, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has issued a notice to the Punjab government in connection with the case.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala revealed the allegations during a press conference in the national capital, stating that the minister, Lal Chand Kataruchak, abused his position and exploited a young boy with the promise of a job. Poonawala asserted that the victim’s testimony, recorded on video, had been verified as authentic through a forensic report.
The Punjab governor has reportedly questioned the state government regarding the minister’s continuation in his post amid the severe allegations. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes issued a notice to the Punjab government, its Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and the Director-General of Police (DGP) following the victim’s complaint. Poonawala accused the AAP of operating under a “sex-for-job” model, alleging that the party’s top brass offers protection to such leaders. The BJP spokesperson demanded that Punjab Chief Minister Mann and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal take action against the minister and initiate an unbiased investigation.
The BJP has called for Kataruchak’s immediate removal from office and a thorough, independent probe into the allegations, free from any interference by the state government. Poonawala questioned why Mann and the AAP have not taken action against the accused minister thus far.