हिंदी
(Asks why the Vidhan Sabha Speaker was sitting over a representation demanding Arora’s unseating in line with a SC ruling in such cases)
Chandigarh, 4 January 2024
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today while demanding the immediate unseating of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and cabinet minister Aman Arora as a legislator following his conviction in a physical assault case, also asked Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan to disclose why he was sitting over a representation demanding Arora’s unseating in line with a Supreme Court ruling in such cases.
Addressing a press conference here, SAD leaders Rajinder Deepa and Arshdeep Singh Kler said the Supreme Court judgement in the Lily Thomas case had made it clear that any elected representative once convicted ceased to remain a legislator immediately. The leaders said despite this clear direction of the apex court Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Sandhwan was not taking any action in the matter. “The Speaker has avoided meeting a SAD deputation on this issue and has refused to take action in the matter despite submission of a written representation to him on December 27”.
Mr Rajinder Deepa said Aman Arora had been found guilty of physically assaulting him and his wife on March 3, 2008 at their residence in Sunam. He said this attack followed Arora’s loss in the 2007 assembly elections. “Till now Arora has not got any relief in the case and there is no reason for him continuing as a member of the Vidhan Sabha”.
Mr Arshdeep Kler condemned the double standards of AAP and its leaders. He said when the party got relief from the apex court following its standoff with the State Governor it termed it as a victory of the constitution but it was not following the clear cut directions of the Supreme Court relating to conviction of elected representatives.
Meanwhile, answering a media query, Mr Kler said “it is clear the AAP government in Punjab also perpetrated a liquor scam on the same pattern as the Delhi liquor scam”. He said this was the main reason why chief minister Bhagwant Mann had chosen to fly off to a Vipassana retreat in Vizag. “Once Mr Arvind Kejriwal is arrested the probe into the Punjab liquor scam, which was delayed by the government by denying sanction to question two IAS officers, is likely to be accelerated”.
Mr Kler also requested the chief minister not to act like a motor mouth by asserting that Punjabis should save themselves from the Shiromani Akali Dal. “Mr Bhagwant Mann must know that in his rule the scourge of drugs reached alarming proportions even as social welfare schemes have virtually stopped and each and every section of society – be it farmers, trade and industry or youth – were feeling betrayed. In stark contrast the erstwhile SAD tenure was known for rapid development, unprecedented expansion in road infrastructure and novel social welfare schemes. He should examine all this before shooting his mouth off and trying to divert attention from his failures”, Mr Kler added.
