Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema on Wednesday said the confrontational policy being followed by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann with the Constitutional head of the state, the governor, would have dangerous repercussions for the state and its people.
Addressing a Press conference here, the SAD leader said instead of looking after the interests of Punjabis and resolving their key issues and grievances, the CM was getting involved in a slanging match with the Governor Banwarilal Purohit. “In doing so he (Mann) has lowered the dignity of the high office he holds,” he added.
Referring to the Press conference of Governor Banwarilal Purohit, the SAD leader said “The Governor has made shocking disclosures. It has now become clear that the screening committee constituted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to screen applicants for the post of the vice chancellor of the Punjab Technical University (PTU) was not constituted as per University Grants Commission (UGC) norms,”.
“The governor has also disclosed that even though 40 applicants had applied for the post, they were not called for an interview. Although the appointment has been made keeping the interest of the varsity which was without a head for two years, an independent probe is needed into all the deliberate lapses so that due action can be taken against those guilty,” he added.
Dr Cheema said the Governor had also exposed the chief minister on denial of Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues from the Centre. He said Mann had claimed in the Assembly that the Governor did not take up this issue with the centre even as the Governor has stated that he has not received a single letter on this issue from the government.
The SAD leader said the dubious role played by the CM on Panjab University had also been exposed by the Governor. “The SAD has all along questioned as to why the chief minister attended the meeting called by the Governor to affiliate Haryana colleges with Panjab University. Now it has come to light that a decision to this regard was taken at a meeting of the North Zone Council and that the AAP government did not object to the proposal to discuss the issue afresh,”.
Dr Cheema said earlier also the CM had sacrificed the interests of Punjab by failing to oppose Haryana’s proposal to build a separate Assembly in the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
