Chandigarh, Nov 26 (IANS) Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday lashed out at Congress secretary in-charge of Punjab, Harish Chaudhary, over his baseless accusations of being hand in glove with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, when he was the Chief Minister.
Amarinder Singh said in a statement here that although he owed no explanation to "an out of job legislator who has been sacked as a minister in Rajasthan for being named as an accused in murder case of Kamlesh Prajapat, in Barmer, and inquiry for which has been handed over to the CBI by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Ghelot", he still wanted to set the record straight.
"Had I had any understanding with the Prime Minister or the BJP when I was the Chief Minister, I would not have supported the farmers' agitation and demanded repealing of the agriculture laws and passed law in the Vidhan Sabha against these", Amarinder clarified.
He said as the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Punjab, he was supposed to meet the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister and so were his ministers who would meet their central counterparts.
"Even your new CM has met the PM and the Home Minister, and from your senseless logic then he should also be having an understanding with the BJP and waiting to be sacked", he taunted Chaudhary.
Amarinder Singh said it was for the first time that a party in-charge had made the state as his permanent abode.
"I have worked with 14 party in-charges like Pranab Mukherjee, Mohsina Kidwai, Janaradhan Dwivedi to name a few, and they would rarely interfere, leave aside visiting or settling down in Punjab", he recalled, while pointing out, "a party in-charge is not supposed to settle down in the state he is assigned but to facilitate interaction and feedback to the high command".
But, he added, here is a man, who has been sacked from the government for being named as an accused in a murder case in his home state, and is enjoying "Chief Ministerial power and privileges in Punjab, turning the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi into a rubber stamp, by dictating terms to him".
He said Chaudhary has even been attending the Cabinet and other meetings of officers, which is illegal and unconstitutional.
The former Chief Minister questioned the legality of his getting a ministerial bungalow in Chandigarh and the entire Punjab Bhavan at his disposal, from where he commands and dictates orders to the Chief Minister, other ministers and the officers.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi had said that his government will not accept the Centre's decision to expand the BSF's jurisdiction from existing 15 km from the border to 50 km, as this is "against the spirit of federalism".
A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli shot a volley of questions at senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the Uttar Pradesh government.
The patients comprised 13 men and two women. Of them, six are children, with the youngest being eight years of age. Ten patients were bystanders, while five bursting crackers themselves.
His announcement comes days after Advocate General A.P.S. Deol resigned from his position and the Punjab government has sent a list of 10 names to the Union Public Service Commission for appointment of the Director General of Police.
According to the SAFAR, at 6 p.m. in Delhi, PM2.5 was 435 micrograms per cubic meter. By Saturday morning, its magnitude may decline but values will remain at the edge of very poor and severe, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said.
Defence sources said the customary exchange of Diwali sweets took place between the two armies at the Aman Setu bridge near the Kaman post in Uri sector of the LoC. The other point of exchange was Tithwal on the Kishenganga River in Tangdhar sector of the LoC in Kupwara district.
