After the sacking and subsequent arrest of Punjab Minister Vijay Singla over corruption allegations, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was all praises of his Punjab counterpart and fellow party leader Bhagwant Mann.
Kejriwal said he is proud of Mann for sacking Singla over corruption allegations. He said, "Today, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann sacked state's Health Minister...who's been arrested. No one knew about this corruption, neither the media nor Opposition. Had CM Mann wanted, he would've asked for a slice of it with a 'setting'." "Had CM Mann wanted, he could have stifled the matter, but he did not do it. On his own, he took action against his minister. Bhagwant, we are proud of you. The whole Punjab & country are proud," he added.
The Delhi CM said he had also taken similar action against his food minister in 2015. "In 2015, after our govt was formed in Delhi, even I took similar action against my food minister; when his corruption charges came forth, no one knew. I took action on my own. AAP is a hardcore sincere party; we don't spare anyone," he said.
Hitting out at the Opposition parties in Punjab, Kejriwal said earlier these parties had a "setting" within themselves. "They didn't take action against each other's leaders, let alone catch their own ministers. It's the first time that a party's taken action against its own ministers. People are very happy with this decision," he said. "Opposition doesn't know what to say& how to oppose, so they're saying that within 2 months our ministers are involved in corruption. All these parties are involved in corruption, they loot from the 1st day itself...corruption is done by traitors, we won't accept it," he added.
Earlier, the Punjab Chief Minister said that the AAP has a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. He said that he has sacked Singla from the cabinet and directed Police to register a case against him.
According to Punjab CMO, Singla was demanding 1 per cent commission from officials for contracts and he also confessed to it.
"I am taking strict action against that minister, sacking him from the cabinet and directing the Police to register a case against him. That Minister is Vijay Singla. He had indulged in corruption in his department, and he also confessed to it. AAP has a zero-tolerance policy against corruption," said Mann.
"A case had come to my knowledge, a minister of my government was demanding a 1 per cent commission for every tender. I took it very seriously. Nobody knew about it, had I wanted it could have brushed it under the carpet. But I would have broken the trust of people who trusted me," Punjab CM added.
