Vigilance probe against ex-speaker Rana KP Singh, Cong leader hits back

Punjab Mining Minister Harjot Singh ordered the formation of a committee of senior officials of the mining department to conduct a parallel inquiry in a time-bound manner. The former speaker questioned the moral authority of the minister, saying he had a "personal grudge" against him since he had fought elections against him from Anandpur Sahib.

Chandigarh: Punjab Mining Minister Harjot Singh Bains has asked the vigilance bureau to investigate the alleged involvement of former Vidhan Sabha speaker Rana KP Singh in illegal sand mining, a charge vehemently denied by the Congress leader who claimed the AAP leader nurses a "personal grudge" against him.

The minister also ordered the formation of a committee of senior officials of the mining department to conduct a parallel inquiry in a time-bound manner. The former speaker questioned the moral authority of the minister, saying he had a "personal grudge" against him since he had fought elections against him from Anandpur Sahib.

K P Singh alleged the minister was making "baseless accusations" against him and sought a CBI probe into the mining activities during the last five years including the last six-month period of the AAP government. Bains has asked the vigilance department to carry out a probe against KP Singh, claiming the CBI in July last year had forwarded a complaint to the chief secretary, alleging the former speaker was involved in illegal mining by "misusing" his position.

The minister claimed this matter was "suppressed and no investigation was done at all". In the letter asking for the vigilance probe, Bains wrote that preliminary investigations reveal some alleged "aides" of Singh monthly collected lakhs of rupees from crushers in Ropar and Anandpur Sahib as protection money.

The minister alleged it was also revealed that "many crushers were being operated in Anandpur Sahib area by close relatives of Rana KP". The entire Punjab Congress leadership Wednesday rallied behind the former speaker. These leaders addressed a joint press conference here with Singh.

Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, PCC president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former deputy chief ministers O P Soni and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukh Sarkaria, Aruna Chaudhary, MPs Chaudhary Santokh and Amar Singh were among the senior leaders present at the press conference here.

Rejecting the charge, K P Singh asked AAP leader and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to order a CBI probe into the mining activities during the last five years including the last six months of his government too. KP Singh rejected Banis' claims the CBI wanted the matter to be probed last year.

He said there was no such issue and there were only anonymous unsigned complaints, which obviously could not be taken note of. Spelling out his demand for a probe by the CBI or a sitting high court judge, Rana said the probe should include the mining activities along the international border which the Army and the Border Security Force have described as a grave threat to national security.

"Whether it was not a fact that despite a ban on mining during the monsoon season, thousands of truckload of sand wasbeing extracted. Who was allowing that?" Rana asked minister Bains. The senior Congress leader said if need be, he will try to meet CM Bhagwant Mann for an independent probe by the CBI or a high court judge.

In case, he added, his demand was not met, he will approach the court also as he will not allow his image and reputation of 40 years of public service to be maligned and tarnished like that. "Enough is enough," he said, while asserting, he will fight against this "political vendetta" till the end. (PTI)