Cong takes job scam cry to CM’s doorste

Cong takes job scam cry to CM’s doorstep

Sidelights

• Senior Congress leaders such as Ambika Soni, Partap Singh Bajwa and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, whose pictures were displayed on the hoarding installed on the stage, were conspicuous by their absence. Maheshinder Singh Badal, estranged cousin of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, also stayed away.
• Throughout the day, SAD chief and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal remained present at his Badal village residence. Amarinder had initially announced to hold the protest at Badal village, but later changed the venue to Lambi.
• Pickpockets had a field day during the protest. Malout Congress leader Shubdeep Singh ‘Bittu’ lost his wallet and a reporter lost his cell phone.

PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh (centre) with party leaders during a protest against the recruitment scam at Lambi in Muktsar district on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pawan sharma

Sanjeev Singh Bariana & Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, June 18

Alleging the involvement of Akali leader Dyal Singh Kolianwali in the recruitment scam, PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh today said he (Kolianwali) would go to jail on the first day the Congress took over the government.

“He is a the front man of CM Parkash Singh Badal in the recruitment scam. Badal, too, shall pay for it,” Amarinder said while talking to the media after a dharna at the CM’s Lambi Assembly segment today.

“The candidates who paid money to get selected were being nabbed. They are not the real culprits. The culprits charged Rs15 lakh for recruitment in the police and Rs50 lakh as SDOs in the Department of Rural Development. There are big names involved,” he pointed out.

“We had a clean Punjab Public Service Commission. When Ravi Sidhu was found to be indulging in corruption, we put him behind bars. Now, the recruitments were being done by departments directly after charging money,” he said.

Manpreet Badal named Tejinder Middukhera and Satinder Singh Manta, as the front men of Badal who were allegedly doling out jobs in return for money. “Ask anyone in the entire area to know the truth” he said.

If voted to power, the Congress government would give 300 units of power free, would give Rs51,000 in shagun to girls at the time of marriage and enhance the old age and widow pension to Rs2,000 per month. The recruitment age limit would also be increased from 38 years to 42 years, he added.

Indian Youth Congress president Raja Warring said, “Koilanwali was a milk vendor. Today, he has a house on five acres, more than the land he owned a few years ago. He is just the front man. The real culprits are behind the scenes,” he alleged.

Former CLP leader Sunil Jakhar said, “People need to understand that they must come and vote out this government which promotes ‘goondaism’ and in which common people were booked in false cases by the police, particularly Congressmen.”

Others who spoke on the occasion included PPCC senior vice- president Lal Singh, MLA Kuljit Nagra, Khushbaz Singh Jattana and Gurmeet Khudian.

Courtesy: The Tribune