CHANDIGARH: Former Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal on Monday categorically reiterated his “intent and commitment to fully cooperating with the law” and said that he had ‘complete faith in the judiciary.’ He has, however, asked the SIT “to reschedule the date for his appearance for the investigations as he is not keeping good health and has been advised complete bed rest for ten days by doctors.”
“As soon as my health gets better, I will be available to join the investigation as per law, at my current place of residence. (MLA Flat No 37, Sector 4, Chandigarh.),” he said. Badal said he hoped that this SIT, unlike the previous one, would respect the law of the land and conduct a fair investigation, withstanding political interference from the ruling dispensation which, he said, had been brazenly subverting the law for petty political gains.
In his two-page response to the summon from the SIT investigating the handling of Kotkapura incidents by the previous government, Badal said, “the entire process of investigations already stands brazenly compromised through blatant and unapologetic political interference and it reeks too strongly of political vendetta to inspire any confidence about a fair process of law being followed.” Despite this, said Badal, he will “cooperate fully” with the investigative process.
The former Chief Minister pointed out that the very need for the present SIT had, “arisen out of the brazen politicization of the case by the previous SIT.” In this regard, Badal came down heavily against one of the members of the previous SIT and said,
“With a callous and contemptuous disregard for all the established procedures and norms, this officer completely usurped and appropriated to himself the entire functioning and designated role of all the other members of the SIT, including its Chairman and rendered them redundant and they were reportedly not even a part of the investigative process.”
The former CM further referred to reports that said that the findings of the previous SIT had been scripted jointly by half a dozen high profile members of the ruling party.“ These reports, Badal pointed out, had never been contradicted.