Facing heat over his alleged role in proxy bidding in the recent sand mines’ auctions, Punjab’s irrigation and power minister Rana Gurjeet Singh on Thursday expressed confidence that he would come clean in any probe.

Referring to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Khaira’s demand for an inquiry in Singh’s case by Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT), the minister said paper tigers like Khaira was well known for making mountains out of molehill.

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“Khaira and other people like him are visiting offices of Lokpal, ED and IT to grab the news value of these places. They are hell bent to tarnish my image for their petty political interests but I welcome these moves as any probe initiated on their request will prove my innocence,” he said.

Singh further said he was first to welcome the decision of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh regarding setting up of a judicial commission into the sand mining auction. “One can defame but can’t prove an innocent a guilty. Some frustrated and overambitious people are running malicious campaigns against me but they will soon lick the dust. I am confident that I will come clean in any probe against me,” he added.

Singh said former Congressman Khaira's frustration was quite understandable since he had been pushed into political oblivion and wilderness as first he failed to become the leader of Opposition and then his aborted attempt to usurp the position of state AAP president by trying to malign and defame Bhagwant Mann by using his foreign touts to declare him (Mann) as a drunkard and a drug addict.

“Khaira is trying to defame me to get the oxygen of publicity for his own political survival as otherwise he is as good as having already been politically finished off,” he remarked.