Chandigarh, Aug 29 Making it clear that anyone found guilty of complicity in the alleged scholarship scam would not be spared, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said he had asked the Chief Secretary to conduct a thorough probe into the case, which would be taken to its logical conclusion as per the law.
Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan will look into all aspects of the case, and anyone found involved, whatever his position within or outside the government, would be penalised and punished in accordance with the legal provisions, said the Chief Minister.
Law will take its course, Amarinder asserted.
The Chief Minister's directive came hours after the Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal requested Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot to recommend a CBI inquiry into the Rs 63 crore SC scholarship scam in Punjab.
Captain Amarinder said nobody could be put on the mat without a fair probe and proper inquiry, which Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot also deserved.
"There is rule of law, which needs to be followed," said the Chief Minister, adding that he would not succumb to Opposition's trial in the case.
However, there was no question of protecting or shielding anyone, and action under the law would be taken against anyone found guilty of any involvement in the case, he added.
The Chief Minister also lashed out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for behaving like a rogue party by baying for Dharamsot's blood without a proper inquiry.
"Are we living in a state of anarchy, with no rule of law?," Captain Amarinder asked reacting strongly to the completely unwarranted and uncalled for demand of AAP and Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLAs, who had on Friday created a din in the Vidhan Sabha over the issue.
"Do you really expect me to take action without a proper inquiry against my own minister when I have not done so even against many Opposition leaders," asked the Chief Minister, pointing out that Dharamsot has already said he is ready to face any inquiry in the matter.
Unfortunately, allegations and counter-allegations had become a way of life in Indian politics, he added.
Nobody is above the law, but everybody deserves a fair and proper inquiry, said Captain Amarinder, adding that by making all that noise, AAP was only showing desperation to find political footing in the state, where they had been completely rejected by the people, ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections.
"But let me tell you, elections are won by hard work and not by making a lot of unnecessary noise," he warned AAP and other Opposition parties, which, instead of strengthening the state government's hands in fighting the Covid pandemic, were using this as an opportunity to launch their poll campaigns.
( With inputs from IANS )
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