In a rare show of unity on Thursday, the Punjab assembly resolved to review and possibly drop all corruption cases against chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Badal, former chief minister Amarinder Singh and about half a dozen other ministers.
Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, who was himself in the dock in a money-for-job case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation, said he would seek opinion of the state advocate general on the matter and bring it to the House next week.
The matter came up in the House during zero hour when Congress legislator Makhan Singh broached a letter written by deputy speaker Sat Pal Gosain to the speaker, urging him to “review and drop all corruption cases registered against members of the House due to political vendetta”.
Gosain said this would dilute bitterness among rival political parties and help the “state take big strides in growth ad progress”.
Some members in the House were quick to lap the proposal and mooted the idea of forming a committee comprising the speaker, the leader of the opposition and the advocate general to review all cases against political leaders.
Minister of parliamentary affairs Manoranjan Kalia, however, intervened to suggest that the speaker first take the opinion of the advocate general on the issue before the House takes any decision on it.
The senior and junior Badal and Amarinder singh have been facing trails in different courts for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to their sources of income. The cases against Badals were initiated when Amarinder was the chief minister. The one against Amarinder came up when the Badals took over the reigns of the state.
Assembly members felt that dropping of corruption cases would bring about reconciliation among the warring Akali and Congress leaders.
Sunil Jakhar of the Congress said it was a good beginning. He said vendetta politics had entered Punjab through Haryana. At a time when the neighbouring state has given up such kind of politics, Punjab should also follow suit, Jakhar said.
Legal experts say the state government can withdraw the corruption cases at any stage.
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