Even as Cabinet minister in Captain Amarinder Singh government, Navjot Singh Sidhu continues to court controversy over his appearance in a TV show and his wife's presence in official meetings, another Punjab minister Aruna Chaudhary has landed in controversy after husband was seen going through the official files in her office.
The chief minister (CM) Captain Amaridner has, however, come to the rescue of minister of state (MoS) for higher education and school education saying he would talk to the minister over the 'reported' interference of her husband in her official functioning.
Chaudhary's husband, Ashok Chaudhary was on Wednesday seen in her office in Punjab civil secretariat sitting next to the minister's chair. Ashok was 'reportedly' making notes and rummaging through the official files on Wednesday.
In an interview to a TV channel, the CM said he was sure the minister would be able to control any such interference in the future. In response to a question during a television interview, the Chief Minister agreed that such behavior was not proper and could not be condoned.
Ashok Chaudhary is District Congress Committee president from Gurdaspur. The matter came to the light after a teacher reportedly clicked picture when the minister's husband was looking into the office files in her office. The picture had the minister in the background. The picture, clicked through cell phone, went viral on social media in the evening.
Similarly, Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who already facing a row over his participation in a TV reality show, had courted a controversy by taking his wife and former legislator Navjot Kaur on official meetings.
Questions were raised over the fact that Kaur holds no official post to accompany her minister husband on official meetings as the minister of tourism and culture and local bodies in the new Congress government.
Justifying his wife's participation, Sidhu had said, "She is my better half, my ardhangini (better half)". On her part, Kaur had justified her participation in her husband's official meetings saying she is a more experienced politician than her husband.
Minister of state (independent charge) for higher education and school education Aruna Chaudhary is three-time MLA and daughter-in-law of a four-time MLA, Jai Muni Chaudhary. She is MLA of Dina Nagar in Gurdaspur district.