Sack Maluka, demands Bajwa
Saturday, 01/06/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130601/punjab.htm#6
Chandigarh : Punjab Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa today demanded the ouster of Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka from the state Cabinet in the wake of alleged purchase of books and other study material at exorbitant prices.
In a statement, Bajwa said the “book scam” in the Education Department had “exposed the arrogance and moral bankruptcy of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who is not ready to act against Maluka”. He said, “The book scam, which appeared to be only an embezzlement of central funds, has now cropped up a bizarre case of unparallelled political corruption.”
Bajwa said the way Chief Minister was shielding the Education Minister, it showed the “arrogance and lack of resolve in containing corruption in his government”. He said he was shocked to see the comments against national and state leaders as given in the books supplied to primary schoolchildren.
Bajwa said the “scam” of this magnitude and nature should be investigated by an independent agency like the CBI or a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He said the scam involved purchase of books for libraries, practical books, science kits and map masters. “The panel selected for the tendering comprised close men of Maluka and they are now being made scapegoat to save the Minister,” he said. Bajwa asked Badal to explain his “political compulsions” behind protecting Maluka.
