Chandigarh, April 10 Taking strong note of the viral video allegedly showing Punjab Minister Hardeep Mundia threatening a businessman, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Friday that it would take up the matter with the Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
Presenting the victim businessman Malkit Singh before the media here, Union Minister of State for Railways and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu said the issue would be raised with the Governor of Punjab.
Joining Union Minister Bittu over the issue, BJP MLA from Mukerian, Jangi Lal Mahajan, demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter and called for ensuring the safety of the victim's family.
Union Minister Bittu said what Laljit Bhullar, now former Punjab Minister, allegedly did in Amritsar is now being repeated by Minister Mundia in Mukerian.
The only difference, he said, is that while warehousing corporation official Gagandeep Randhawa had died by suicide after being harassed, Malkit Singh has chosen to fight back.
The Union Minister noted that the BJP and others raising their voice against the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government stand firmly with the businessman's family.
He also alleged that while the state government claimed to attract foreign investment, it is simultaneously intimidating local entrepreneurs, those who build businesses and create jobs in Punjab, and extorting money from them.
Union Minister Bittu claimed that this "loot" is being routed to Delhi.
Victim and businessman Malkit Singh alleged that about a year ago, Minister Mundia got a trolley worth Rs 6.5 lakh made but did not pay for it.
When Malkit Singh demanded payment, Minister Mundia instead pressured him to give a share in his business.
Businessman Malkit Singh also claimed that under Minister Mundia's pressure, notices have been issued against him by the Punjab State Pollution Control Board and other departments in an attempt to shut down his business.
He said his family's life and property are under threat, alleging that gangster-linked threats are being made against them.
Malkit Singh's brother has already been attacked, and despite filing a case, the police have not taken any action against Minister Mundia.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor