The decision to withdraw notification for dissolving panchayats prematurely and suspend two IAS officers for this goof-up has left Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led AAP government red-faced with Opposition parties accusing it of making the officers scapegoats after a leaked document showed that both Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and Chief Minister Mann had signed on the decision.

As per the leaked file noting, the file for dissolving over 13,000 Gram Panchayats prematurely was signed by Mann and Minister Bhullar on 7 August. This was after Director of Rural Development and Panchayats Gurpreet Singh Khaira approved the file on 3 August. Principal Secretary DK Tiwari signed the file on 4 August.

Facing judicial rap in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for dissolving panchayats prematurely, the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday withdraw the August 10 notification and suspended 1994-batch IAS officer Tiwari and 2009-batch officer Gurpreet Singh Khaira for “taking a technically flawed decision regarding the dissolution of panchayats.”

AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang blamed the officers for the decision to dissolve panchayats prematurely. He said the panchayats department had moved the controversial proposal and the government has now done the course correction by withdrawing the notification for dissolving panchayats prematurely. “The CM was misguided by the officers. But we were not adamant. We have reviewed the decision and withdrawn the orders,” he said.

The Opposition, however, blamed the CM and rural development minister for the decision. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the two officers were made scapegoats. He demanded the resignation of both the ministers.

“The decision to dissolve the panchayats was a political move of the Aam Aadmi Party and CM Bhagwant Mann. If anyone is to be held accountable it should be Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and panchayat minister Laljit Bhullar. Kejriwal, CM and panchayat minister should be dismissed with immediate effect. Action can’t be taken against senior IAS officers for implementing the political agenda of AAP,” he said.

Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said the two IAS officers have been made scapegoats for the foolish actions of the CM and the panchayat minister.
Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, said it is shameful that Bhagwant Mann who signed off on the decision to dissolve the panchayats has tried to scapegoat two bureaucrats to protect himself and his minister. “If CM had any morals, it is he who should own moral responsibility and resign forthright,” he said.

Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sunil Jakhar said the decision to dissolve panchayats was not of the officials but CM Bhagwant Mann had taken this decision on the directions of his boss in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal (AAP chief). He said how it is possible that CM Bhagwant Mann didn’t know which file he was signing.