The Congress alleged that the presence of Chani in campaigning for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election on May 10 has spooked the AAP government. (File photo: PTI)
The Vigilance Bureau had earlier asked him to appear on Wednesday, but Channi sought an adjournment till April 20. However, on Thursday afternoon the agency sent a letter to the Congress leader, directing him to appear before it on April 14.
On a day he shared the dais with his party’s top leadership in the state to project a picture of unity, former Punjab chief minister and Congress leader Charanjit Channi was asked by the Vigilance Bureau to appear for questioning on Friday, and his request Rejected. To appear on April 20 in the disproportionate assets case
The Vigilance Bureau had earlier asked him to appear on Wednesday, but Channi sought an adjournment till April 20. However, on Thursday afternoon the agency sent a letter to the Congress leader, directing him to appear before it on April 14. The bureau said since the officials were not available that day, they should come for questioning on Friday.
The Congress immediately termed it as “harassment”, claiming that the letter was issued after being disturbed by Chhani’s presence in the campaign for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll on 10 May. “This is a sheer attempt to intimidate. You are the government. Pratap Bajwa, the so-called Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, has created a stir with today’s show of strength.
Seeking to send a message that there is no infighting and the Congress leadership stands behind its candidate for the bypolls, Karamjit Kaur Chowdhary, the party presented a united face during the filing of her nomination papers on Thursday.
All leaders, including Channi and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, ex-state unit chief Navjot Sidhu, party Punjab incharge Harish Chaudhary, present state unit president Amarinder S Raja Warring, Partap Bajwa, MP Gurjit Aujla, state unit working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu, ex- Ministers Avtar Henry and Amarjit Samra, and party bypoll incharge Rana Gurjeet Singh came together at Congress Bhavan.
Former Jalandhar MP MS Kaypi, who is miffed over denial of ticket, also joined him last evening after meeting the candidate and his son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chowdhary.
“We stand united and support our candidate Karamjit Chowdhary after the death of her husband and Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chowdhary,” Waring said.
The Vigilance Bureau says a team has prepared a detailed dossier on the former chief minister to question him about his assets. This will be the first time Channi will appear before the agency.
Last month, the Vigilance Bureau had issued a lookout notice against Channi, fearing that he might try to escape.
Channi had been on the Enforcement Directorate’s radar after his nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was arrested in an alleged corruption case last year and around Rs 10 crore was seized from his possession. The ED is probing Channi, his brothers, family members and some associates for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to their declared sources of income. The agencies suspect that the former chief minister had provided “undue benefits” to some contractors.
According to the ED, Honey had amassed the money by assisting mining contractors and facilitating transfer and posting of officials.
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