The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in the money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged sand mining case in the state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said soon his corruption will be exposed before the people of the state.
In a statement issued from the party headquarters on Thursday, senior AAP leader and spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said Channi’s statement that “ED is satisfied with my replies” is extremely ridiculous.
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“With this statement, Channi is giving himself a clean chit and trying to avoid serious allegations of corruption against him,” he said.
Raising questions to Congress, he said the party should clarify their stand on whether they are supporting the corruption of Channi. He also asked Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh, Raja Warring, whether he was also a 75:25 partner along with Channi in the illegal sand mafia. “If not, will he take action against Channi and expel him from the party? “Congress party must clarify its stand on this matter at the earliest,” said Kang.
The AAP leader said while being the CM, Channi openly ran the sand mafia in the state and amassed money for himself and his relatives. Before the Assembly elections, when AAP leader Raghav Chadha exposed the illegal sand mining going on in Channi’s constituency Chamkaur Sahib, Channi and Congress leaders made fun of Chadha and the Aam Aadmi Party. “But now the truth has come to the light and corruption is being exposed,” he added.
The ED recorded the statement of the 59-year-old Congress leader under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and he left the ED’s zonal office in Jalandhar late on Wednesday night.
Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh alias Honey was arrested in the case by the agency days before the 20 February Punjab Assembly polls. A charge sheet was filed against him and others named in the case earlier this month.
“I was summoned by the ED yesterday regarding the mining case. I attended and replied to the queries put by them to the best of my knowledge. A Challan in this case has already been presented by ED in the Hon’ble court. The authorities have not asked me to come again,” Channi said in a tweet.