New Delhi, 02 September (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab over the alleged “cash-for-transfer” scam. The party alleged that findings emerging from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation indicate that transfers of officials in Punjab were allegedly being carried out on the basis of a “rate card.”

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters on Wednesday, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that fixed rates were allegedly in place for transfers and postings during the tenure of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and said the Chief Minister must answer questions surrounding the entire matter. Gaurav Bhatia said the name of Rajbir Singh Ghuman, the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), had surfaced in the ED investigation. He alleged that different rates had been fixed for appointments and transfers in various departments.

He questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, asking why an FIR had not been registered so far if a cognisable offence had come to light. He said it was clear that intermediaries were being protected in the matter. He claimed that, on the lines of the alleged liquor scam in Delhi, a “rate-card model” had also been implemented in Punjab.

He demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann clarify who the alleged mastermind behind the “cash-for-transfer” scam was and what role Arvind Kejriwal had played in the matter. He said the people of Punjab wanted answers to these questions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar