Capt hits back, demands probe into Sehajdhari row

Saturday, 10/09/2011

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HC/2011/09/10/ArticleHtmls/Capt-hits-back-demands-probe-into-Sehajdhari-row-10092011003003.shtml?Mode=1

EX-AG MISLED Thorough investigation needed into who phoned Harbhagwan leading to statement that amounted to `contempt of court', says state Cong chief Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday demanded an investigation into the turn of events behind the misleading statement of former advocate general (AG) Harbhagwan Singh in the Punjab and Haryana high court about voting rights to Sehajdhari Sikhs in the SGPC polls."

The PPCC chief said the submissions Harbhagwan had made before the high court amounted to “contempt of the court“. Harbhagwan, who was the AG when Amarinder was the chief minister of Punjab (2002-07), had on September 1 stated before a three-judge high court bench that the Congressled central government had withdrawn the 2003 notification that made Sehajdhari Sikhs ineligible for voting in the SGPC elections, leading to uncertainty over holding of the September 18 SGPC polls and sparking a wave of political protests in the state.

Harbhagwan has, however, maintained that his statement in court was based on instructions he received on phone from an unknown person claiming to be an official of the union law ministry.

Amarinder said on Friday that the former AG should have been circumspect before making the statement in court.

“I seek a thorough investigation into who called Harbhagwan and misled him,“ the state Congress chief said. “The worrying issue is who rang up the counsel on the basis of which the statement was made, which is a contempt of court.“

Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has blamed Amarinder for the “conspiracy and mischief“ and sought a CBI inquiry into the issue.

But the PPCC chief said the Congress had nothing to do with the controversy. “The Badal are obsessed with me and they even see me in their dreams,“ he said. `PRENEET DID NOTHING WRONG' Amarinder defended the move of the union ministry of external affairs (in which his wife Preneet Kaur is minister of state) urging the union law ministry to field Harbhagwan as counsel in the Sehajdhari voting rights case.

Hindustan Times was first to report that according to a “most urgent“ note of the union law ministry, the external affairs ministry had requested that Harbhagwan be the counsel in two related petitions linked to the case (Law ministry note hints at Punjab Congress role; HT, September 8)

“There was nothing wrong in recommending a lawyer to defend Sehajdharis and other Sikhs in the court of law,“ Amarinder said. “Had anybody from among the Sehajdharis come to me for support and assistance, I would have provided them with two lawyers instead of one as their case is genuine and justified.“

Posing a counter-question, the Congress leader said “what's wrong“ if Preneet had recommended Harbhagwan's name to appear in the case.

He, however, deflected further questions by saying: “Please ask her (Perneet), she is in Switzerland today.“