“Our Intentions Are Honest, and We Have Nothing to Hide—Ready for Probe by Any Committee,” Challenges Aman Arora to Bajwa.
Criticizing the Congress over corruption, (AAP) Punjab President Aman Arora urged Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa to address issues within his own party before accusing others.
Referring to a news report published in a leading English daily, Arora highlighted a letter from a retired Enforcement Directorate officer to the Union Finance Minister. The letter alleged that in 2020, an investigation into the Tarn Taran illicit liquor case— which claimed 130 lives— was halted after it implicated at least 10 Congress MLAs, a minister, and close aides of the then Chief Minister.
“This is a clear case of ‘the pot calling the kettle black,’” Arora remarked, challenging Bajwa, “Our intentions are clean, and we are open to scrutiny by any committee.”
Responding to Bajwa’s concerns in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during zero hour, Arora reaffirmed the Punjab government’s commitment to eradicating corruption, regardless of political affiliations. He warned against making baseless allegations without evidence, as such claims undermine public trust in the political system.
He assured that the complaint received by the Vigilance Bureau would be processed based on its findings, rejecting Bajwa’s doubts about the Bureau’s jurisdiction under the state government. Arora criticized the opposition’s double standards—using the Vigilance Bureau’s cases for their narrative while simultaneously questioning its credibility.
He emphasized that the AAP government fully supports forming an assembly committee to investigate corruption cases, including those from past regimes.
Arora also cited an example of integrity shown by Power and Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO. He shared an incident where the minister assisted a sheller owner in completing a pending task. When offered a box of sweets and a bag of rice in gratitude, the minister declined the rice, suggesting it be given to someone in need. Additionally, upon learning that someone had taken a ₹7 lakh bribe from the sheller owner for the same work, Minister ETO directed the district SSP to ensure the money’s immediate return, warning that failure to do so would result in legal action.