BJP slams AAP over Punjab official's suicide, alleges extortion

BJP's Tarun Chugh slammed the AAP govt over the suicide of Punjab official Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, alleging harassment and extortion. He accused AAP leaders of institutionalised corruption, leading to the official's death and a political storm.

BJP Alleges 'Institutionalised Corruption' in AAP

BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday expressed grief over the death of Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC) official Gagandeep Singh Randhawa and slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleging that it threatens and harasses officers and extorts money from "all walks of life." "The suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the district manager of the Warehouse Corporation in Amritsar, is extremely painful and distressing. Serious questions are being raised about the executive of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). AAP leaders are extorting money from Punjab by harassing officers, extorting money from all walks of life, and threatening them," he told ANI.

Chugh flagged the corruption practices in the society, saying that the incident showcases the "institutionalised corruption within AAP." "The web of corruption is consuming Punjab officials, businessmen, and every section of society. The way an officer was summoned to a minister's residence, beaten, threatened, and filmed inappropriately in connection with a bribery case, and then committed suicide, clearly demonstrates the institutionalised corruption within the AAP government in Punjab. AAP leaders like Lalji Singh Bhullar and other ministers and AAP leaders are extorting money from people in Punjab by intimidating and harassing them," he added.

Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager in the Punjab Warehousing Corporation (PWC), died by suicide, sparking a political controversy in the state.

Victim's Family Accuses Minister of Torture

Accusing Lalji Singh Bhullar of torturing her husband, Upinder Kaur said on Sunday, "Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar tortured my husband a lot. My husband was made so helpless that he took his own life...He was told that his family, his children, would be finished off, and gangsters would be put after him. He was tortured a lot on 13th March at his office. On Saturday morning, yesterday, he took his own life. I have 3 young children. I have a mother-in-law. All of us demand justice. Make arrests. Postmortem and last rites will be conducted only after that...I want justice and nothing else. After he came back on 13th March, he had told me everything...He had even made a complaint to his department. They only kept giving him assurances, but nothing happened...FIR was not registered initially under the government's pressure...This was all done because a tender was not passed. It was being implied that my husband was not passing it deliberately...I fear for my life; security should be provided to my children and me...If anything happens to us, this Govt would be responsible for it..."

Minister Resigns, FIR Registered

Following the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accepted Bhullar's resignation as Transport Minister.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police registered an FIR naming former Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in connection with the suicide case, the officials said. Bhullar's father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his PA, Dilbagh Singh, have also been booked in the case, they further said. (ANI)

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