Congress MLAs seek minister Fauja Singh Sarari's dismissal from Punjab cabinet over 'extortion' audio clip

Chandigarh: Congress MLAs on Thursday sought dismissal of Punjab Minister Fauja Singh Sarari from the Cabinet over the issue of an audio clip in which he was purportedly discussing ways to trap some contractors to "extort" money.

The Congress also sought investigation of the purported audio clip through a forensic lab of the central government.

The second day of the assembly session commenced on a stormy note after Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa demanded action against Sarari and also sought a statement of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the issue.

A purported audio clip of an alleged conversation between Sarari and his former close aide, discussing ways to “trap” some contractors involved in food grain transportation through some officials "to get money" from them, had surfaced this month.

Raising the issue of Sarari in the House, Congress leader Bajwa also sought that a case should also be registered against the minister.

When the Congress MLAs stuck to their demand of seeking reply from the state government, the Speaker told them that let the chief minister come as he was not present in the House at that time.

The Congress MLAs then rushed to the Well of the House and raised slogans against the government.

When the Speaker's plea not to disrupt proceedings of the House went unheeded, the Speaker adjourned the House for half an hour.

The Congress MLAs came to the House wearing aprons which carried slogans against Sarari.

Bajwa reminded that the Mann government immediately after coming to power sacked its own Minister Vijay Singla on corruption charges on the basis of some audio clip, which, however, has till today not been made public.

He said a different yardstick is now being adopted in connection with another Minister, in whose case too an audio clip has surfaced.

Notably, Sarari, the minister for food processing and defence services welfare had earlier categorically denied the charge, but Opposition parties have sought his dismissal and arrest.