Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday demanded that the case involving the video controversy linked to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, as well as the alleged attempt to use police machinery to procure fake forensic reports, be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A five-member committee of the SAD, constituted to approach religious organisations and the Sant Samaj to build a public movement on the issue, held a media interaction in Jalandhar. The leaders said, “Only a CBI probe can get to the bottom of this issue as it has become an inter-state case and there is a money trail which needs to be investigated.”
Maheshinder Singh Grewal said, “There has been a clear fabrication of documents and forgery at the instance of the CM to get a clean chit for himself”. He said that the Aam Aadmi Party had not only created a fake document but also used it in the public domain and presented it as a genuine document.
Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said, “A constitutional crisis had been created in Punjab with Bhagwant Mann becoming the beneficiary of the FIR. The CM has not only violated the law and the constitution to save himself but had also misused the power of the state and treasury funds. All this has been done to show the Akal Takht in poor light.”
He also pointed out that the CM was yet to explain in which capacity he had sent a Commissioner-cum-DIG-level officer of the Punjab Police to procure a fake forensic report. “There is no clarity if Bhagwant Mann gave directions to the police officers in this regard or they resorted to this falsification on their own.” He also asked Finance Minister Harpal Cheema to clarify on what basis he had made the fake forensic reports public and claimed they were genuine reports.
Balwinder Singh Bhunder said the CM had first gotten into a confrontation with the Akal Takht. “Then to hide his fault he resorted to lies including procuring a fake forensic report from Gurgaon. It has been proven that the forensic reports were ‘manufactured’ by the team of Punjab Police officials.” Other members of the committee, including Gulzar Singh Ranike and Amarjit Singh Chawla, were also present on the occasion.
