COVID-hit Punjab gets fresh dose of comic relief as top govt men persist with spats

The people of COVID-battered Punjab on Thursday got a fresh dose of comic relief with the government's top functionaries continuing to squabble and a minister accusing another of threatening him with FIR if does not bury his hatchet with chief secretary, though the later denied it.

The fresh episode was sequel to a crisis triggered on Saturday by a curt reply of Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh to a concern over state's revenue loss raised by two ministers, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Technical Education & industrial Training Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, during their pre-Cabinet meeting with the bureaucrat.

The ministers had dubbed Singh's reply as unacceptable behavior and this had led to the chief secretary being stripped of his additional charge of financial commissioner (Taxation) on Tuesday , followed by ten Congress legislators demanding a probe against the bureaucrat on Wednesday.

Amid the lingering crisis, Channi on Thursday told some TV channels that his colleague and Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had threatened him with the reopening of some old complaint against him if he does not bury the hatchet with the chief secretary.

On being asked about Bajwa's threat to him, Channi, confirming a claim made by Congress MLA Joginder Pal on Wednesday, told TV channels, Certainly, it was said that FIR will be registered against me. Then I said (to Bajwa) let the FIR be registered first.

How it leaked to media I do not know, said Channi, adding Bajwa should not have come to the media.

He said he has already brought this matter to the notice of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar.

Bajwa, however, on Thursday denied that he had threatened Channi.

I can never think in my life that I will threaten or scare anybody, Bajwa said while talking to media here.

I never threatened him and I can never think of doing this. He is my colleague, said Bajwa, adding wrong propaganda was being spread.

The minister, however, acknowledged that he met Channi.

According to allegations, Bjawa had threatened Channi when he had met later to sooth his frayed tempers against the chief secretary.

Denying allegations that he threatened Channi with FIR, Bjawa said, If anybody has anything in mind, Sunil Jakhar is our chief (Punjab Congress president). He can call us and ask us. Amarinder Singh is our chief minister, he can also call us. I will give my clarification before them, if Channi has anything in his mind. he said.

Hours after Bajwa's denial, Channi also talked to some private news channels and countered Bjawa's claims.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party's senior leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Harpal Singh Cheema took pot shots at the Congress ministers-MLAs engaged in a typical street-like fight with the administrative top brass.

Cheema said it was now the appropriate time for them to speak up for Punjab and Punjabis by exerting pressure on Amarinder Singh, to relinquish the charge of chief ministership.