With Punjab Minister Fauja Singh Sarari resigning from the state Cabinet on corruption charges, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Punjab president Ashwani Sharma on Saturday termed the resignation as a mere ‘political gimmick’ by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Sharma said that charges of corruption were staring at the face of the AAP which projects itself as the “Messiah” of truth in politics.
Expressing anguish at the state of affairs in the state, the state BJP chief said asking and accepting the resignation of the cabinet minister who has been mired in controversy since the last six months is nothing but an “eye wash” by the AAP.
“However if the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is really serious he should order framing of charges against Sarari. Mere asking for his resignation is not enough. Actually he is being protected by AAP. For the last six months BJP has been actively stating that AAP is miserably failing in all fronts of governance and corruption is rampant. The CM cannot escape responsibility for the corruption being practised by his minister,” said Sharma.
He said that the BJP has been most vocal on raising the issue of corruption and non seriousness of AAP in the state. The entire state is reeling under deteriorating law and order situation and lackadaisical attitude of Mr Bhagwant Singh Mann’s Cabinet. It is most unfortunate that in less than a year two Cabinet ministers have resigned for corruption charges, the BJP leader said.
Sarari is the second minister in the Bhagwant Mann Cabinet to lose his place on corruption charges. Earlier in May 2022, Mann had sacked his Health Minister Dr Vijay Singla over charges of corruption.