Ex-Punjab CM Amarinder Singh   |  Photo Credit: PTI
Chandigarh: Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, former CM and PLC chief Amarinder Singh has levelled serious allegations against current Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi saying that he was involved in illegal sand mining in the state.
His allegation came hours after CM Channi on Saturday categorically denied his involvement in illegal sand mining. However, Amarinder dismissed Channi’s denial as a “lie” and said that as a chief minister, he had received specific inputs that Channi had a share in the mafia, along with several other Congress leaders and MLAs in the state.
“From top to bottom, right up to the level of senior ministers, many people were involved, as I had told Sonia Gandhi while I was the chief minister (of Punjab). She asked me what action I was taking in the matter, and I told her I will have to start from the top. The one and only mistake I made during my entire tenure was that I did not take any action then, out of my sense of loyalty to the Congress, since I did not get a go-ahead from Sonia Gandhi,” IANS quoted Singh as saying.
Yesterday, senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia hit out at the Punjab Chief Minister and Congress accusing CM Channi of being involved in illegal sand mining in his constituency Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district and demanded a CBI probe into it.
This came days after the recovery of a huge amount of cash from the premises of his nephew during ED raids.
Reacting strongly to Majithia’s allegation, the Punjab chief minister dared him to present even a single proof that indicates his involvement in sand mining across Punjab.
“I have never denied my relationship with my nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey and being a relative he might be present at some of my functions. It is not a crime, if I get clicked with my relatives at my son’s marriage or some other functions,” the CM said while categorically denying his any link in Honey’s money laundering case investigated by Enforcement Directorate.