Joshi has amassed illegal wealth, says SAD - Demands his resignation; BJP hits back, charges Akali Dal with patronising sand, cable, land mafia
Friday, 14/11/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141114/punjab.htm#1
Amritsar : The rift between the ruling alliance partners — the SAD and the BJP — widened today. The SAD accused Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi of corruption and sought his resignation, while the BJP charged the SAD with patronising sand, land, liquor and cable mafia in the state.
The tussle between the two parties, which started over the Bhagtanwala dump yard row, moved to the next level with both sides openly targeting each other on different issues.
It was SAD's Amritsar unit chief Upkar Singh Sandhu who fired a fresh salvo against Joshi by accusing him of amassing wealth through unfair means. He sought Joshi's resignation and a Vigilance probe against him.
Addressing a press conference this afternoon, Sandhu, along with Deputy Mayor Avtar Singh, asked Joshi to put in his papers. He hit out at the minister, saying, "The assets of Joshi and his relatives have increased manifold during the past seven years. Instead of public service, he has been running the Local Bodies Department as a private company for the benefit of his family."
He alleged Joshi's son was using a vehicle belonging to the Improvement Trust, while his nephew's petrol pump supplied fuel to MC vehicles. He alleged the pavement tiles being used in the city came from a factory owned by Joshi's close relatives.
He also accused the minister of patronising advertising mafia and alleged his close associates were running illegal advertisement business in the city. "While Rs 100 crore was spent on the development of his Amritsar North Assembly constituency, all other constituencies were neglected," he said. He also accused Joshi of diverting Improvement Trust funds for development of his native Sangah village in Tarn Taran district.
He claimed a large number of Joshi's relatives and associates from Tarn Taran had shifted base to Amritsar and reaped benefits from the Improvement Trust and the municipal corporation.
BJP's Amritsar unit chief Naresh Sharma accused the Akali Dal of patronising sand, land, liquor and cable mafia in the state. He termed the allegations levelled against Joshi as totally baseless.
He wondered why the SAD was resorting to politics of personal allegations and diverting people's attention from the burning issues facing the state.
"Drug addiction is rampant among the youth in Punjab and everyone knows who is patronising those behind the drug trade," he added. He said they were ready for a Vigilance probe against Joshi. He challenged the SAD to prove any charge of corruption against him. He also asked the SAD whether they were ready for a CBI probe to identify those running sand, land, liquor and cable mafia in the state.
Valtoha tells CPS Sidhu to resign
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Virsa Singh Valtoha on Thursday said Amritsar (East) MLA Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu should resign as the CPS if she had any problem. But she should not try to harm the SAD-BJP coalition to further the personal ambitions of her family, he said. Asking Dr Sidhu "not to live in a fool's paradise", Valtoha said the CPS was free to day dream about the future role of her husband in Punjab politics for her personal gains. "If she is so dissatisfied, she should move out of the government before urging the BJP to walk out of the coalition government,” Valtoha said. He said Dr Sidhu was "prone to erratic, and sometimes even bizarre, behaviour that defied logic".
ABVP convention
A three-day national convention of the BJP's student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) focusing on drug addiction in Punjab will begin in Amritsar on Friday. The convention will be inaugurated by 1971 war hero Brig KS Chandpuri (retd), while Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani will be the chief guest on the concluding day.
