OPPOSITION PARTIES SHOULD NOT POLITICISE ISSUES FOR PETTY POLITICAL GAINS: MAYOR BALKAR SINGH SANDHU

Ludhiana, February 28, 2019: In wake of the CLU issue, Punjab Ekta Party president Sukhpal Singh Khaira had announced to gherao the residence of Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu today. But he failed to turn up, after which Ludhiana Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, Councillor Mamta Ashu, Senior Congress leader Ishwarjot Singh Cheema and several other Congress leaders addressed a press conference today.

They were accompanied by DCC Rural President Karanjit Singh Soni Galib, MC Councillors Dr Jai Parkash, Narinder Sharma, Dilraj Singh, Seema Kapoor, Maharaj Singh Raji, Gurpreet Singh Gogi, Hari Singh Brar, Sunny Bhalla, Rupinder Singh Sheela Dugri, Poonam Malhotra, Jaswinder Kaur Thukral, Pankaj Kaka, Baljinder Singh Bunty, Senior Congress leaders Sunil Kapoor, Hem Raj Aggarwal, besides several others.

While speaking to media persons, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said that Khaira was forced to cancel his protest outside Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s house due to poor attendance of his supporters. He said that the Punjab Ekta Party president had reached Kochar Market area in the morning but due to poor attendance of his supporters, cancelled his programme to gherao the Cabinet Minister’s house.

“Khaira’s stand in support of tainted officials raises questions over his own credibility,” alleged the Mayor. He said that the entire Congress party was waiting for Khaira to turn up, “We wanted to have a discussion with him, but sadly he never turned up,” he said.

MC Councillor Mamta Ashu said that as they wanted to have a discussion with Sukhpal Singh Khaira, they had kept ample amount of chairs in the park adjoining their house. “We had also arranged flower bouquets for Khaira, because we wanted to have a detailed discussion with him over this issue. The aim of our discussion was because Khaira seems to be oblivious of the entire issue, but sadly he failed to turn up,” said Ashu.

Ludhiana Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu today said that the opposition parties should not politicise issues for their petty political gains.

While speaking over the entire issue, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said that Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has already told the Vidhan Sabha that a high powered committee to investigate the issue would be formed shortly. He said that if Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu is found guilty in any way, they would themselves ask him to resign as Congress party believes in giving a transparent and fair governance.

He said that the opposition parties should atleast wait for the committee report, before jumping to their own conclusions. “Either they do not have any faith in the Vidhan Sabha or they are merely interested to politicise this issue for their own petty political gains,” questioned the Mayor.

Senior Congress leader Ishwarjot Singh Cheema said that both Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu had got several complaints against DSP Municipal Corporation Ludhiana Balwinder Singh Sekhon and Superintending Engineer Ludhiana Improvement Trust Rakesh Garg, as they have been suspended in the past too. He said that being a grounded leader who has always stood for the people called both the officers, they recorded the phone calls, which is against the rules.

He also questioned the timing at which both the recordings of totally different issue have been leaked to the media. “Both the recordings are almost an year old and they have been released now. This clearly shows that that both the tainted officers are working on behest of opposition parties and just want to malign the image of the Congress party,” he alleged.