Cong lodges protest with EC on raids at Punjab CM's kin
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jan, 2022 11:51 AM
New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) The Congress on Thursday lodged a strong protest with the Election commission days after the ED raided Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi's kin and termed it politically motivated.
The party alleged that family members of Charanjit Singh Channi, a leader of the Congress, are being targeted in order to create a perception and influence electors into believing that Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi through his family members and the Indian National Congress is involved in the allegations of money laundering.
"Malice and Malafide news stories planted by the ED against the Chief Minister and fake perception being created - Deliberate and malicious news is being selectively leaked and planted in the news media imputing motives at Chief Minister, Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi," it said.
The Congress said, ED Raids are a revenge against failure of PM's rally in Ferozepur on January 5. A sustained attack has been launched by the Central Government and the BJP against Sardar Charanjit Singh Channi, Chief Minister of Punjab.
An AICC Delegation comprising Randeep S. Surjewala, Abhishek M. Singhvi, Harish Chaudhary, Devender Yadav, Ganesh Godiyal, Pranav Jha, Aman Panwar and others met the CEC virtually to protest against the raids by ED.
The delegation also reminded the CEC about the violations of Model Code of Conduct by the Uttarakhand Government for back- dating and tampering of Government records as also Representation of People Act, 1951.
The party alleged, "blatant misuse of Central Investigative Agencies for conducting politically motivated raids with the sole objective to publicly defame and malign the leaders of Indian National Congress, particularly, the Congress Chief Minister in the State of Punjab, continues regardless of the Model Code of Conduct and with a view to illegally influence public opinion in the ongoing elections scheduled to be held on 20.02.2022."
The Congress alleged that similar raids were carried prior to 2019 elections when, "the Commission, while taking cognizance of our memorandums and in exercise of all appropriate and residue powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India had issued an advisory to the Central Government on the illegal, motivated and vendetta driven enforcement actions being undertaken by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, a month before the general elections."
The party said that it's unfortunate that despite a specific direction issued by this Commission, the Central Government continues to flout it with impunity as if they are baiting this commission to profess that a premeditated Central Government is neither under the jurisdiction of this Commission nor does it need to adhere to any constitutional authority.
Ranjit Singh, a former follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants on July 10, 2002, in Kurukshetra after he allegedly "raised his voice" against the self-styled godman, who is currently lodged at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 kms from state capital Chandigarh.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda on Tuesday asked the Congress national leadership to clarify their stand on whether they support the remarks on Kashmir and Pakistan made by party leaders in Punjab. Nadda said that the silence of the Congress leadership will be seen as being implicit to such objectionable remarks.
The farmers union leaders had earlier pointed out that Punjab had failed to hike sugarcane SAP in proportion to Haryana over this period, causing fiscal losses to them.
The Punjab Congress leaders who have distanced themselves from the so-called festering revolt in the party are: Kuldeep Vaid, Dalvir Singh Goldie, Santokh Singh, Angad Singh, Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, all MLAs, and Bhalaipur Ajit Singh Mofar, a former MLA.
Gurbachan Singh (55) was a relieved man after he welcomed his three sons at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here. They were among the 78 Afghan- Indians who were evacuated from Kabul to Tajikistan on Monday and to Delhi on Tuesday afternoon.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters along with former Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram, Gandhi said: "The Prime Minister and the BJP said that the Congress had done nothing in last 70 years. There is a list here of all the assets that the Congress has helped build using the public money.
