Sukhbir slams AAP govt for registering ‘false’ cases against journos, RTI activists

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday participated in a protest against the registration of alleged false cases implicating journalists and RTI activists.He appealed to the Punjabis to "fight this injustice tooth and nail" and assured that the SAD would extend all the support to "the journalists and RTI activists who were framed in false cases".Speaking during the protest, where journalists and RTI activists had gathered to condemn the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab for the registration of a case against RTI activist Manik Goyal and social media influencers for questioning the use of the state helicopter while chief minister Bhagwant Mann was on visit to Japan and Korea, Badal said: "The AAP govt thinks it can browbeat Punjabis with these tactics, but it should know that Punjabis have always stood up to injustice and will rise as one against the AAP govt also."Emphasising that "the fight has transformed into a people's fight", Badal said: "The journalists and RTI activists who were framed in false cases were highlighting the loot of the resources of Punjab at the hands of Arvind Kejriwal."He said: "The SAD also filed RTI applications to expose the manner in which the state helicopter was being misused, but the AAP govt consistently denied information on the same."Alleging that "Arvind Kejriwal is looting Punjab like the East India Company by campaigning across the country at the expense of the Punjab govt", the Akali leader said: "Aeroplanes with 20-seater capacity are booked regularly to ferry Kejriwal to other states. CM Bhagwant Mann is also included in the entourage to ensure the Punjab govt pays the bill.""Similarly, Punjab govt officials were travelling to Delhi constantly to take commands from Kejriwal, even as AAP workers were posted with ministers at govt expense," he added."Against an annual budget of Rs 30-35 crore during the SAD tenure, the AAP govt was spending more than Rs 1,000 crore per year on advertisements and has already spent Rs 4,500 crore under this head till now,", he said, adding "never has so much money been spent for self-publicity in the history of the sate".Alleging the registration of false cases, including the "one against senior SAD leader Parambans Singh Romana", the senior leader said: "A retired CBI officer was entrusted with the power to direct the registration of these FIRs." He further alleged: "The officer also listed the sections under which the FIRs were to be registered, and any police officer not heeding to these commands was suspended."Badal said: "The SAD always gave due respect to the media. Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal always stood for freedom of the press. In stark contrast, the AAP leaders are behaving like thugs by registering cases against anyone who writes against them."MSID:: 126335344 413 |