Janjivan Bureau / Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said he has shunted out Health Minister Vijay Singla from the state Cabinet. Singla has been arrested by Anti-Corruption cell of the Punjab Police.
Singla was taken to the Phase VII police station in Mohali. He will be taken to the district courts shortly, for seeking his remand.
The Chief Minister said the health minister was involved in corruption cases and they had proof of that.
He was allegedly asking for kickbacks in a tender. Singla was allegedly taking one per cent commission on all tenders floated by Health and Family Welfare department.
Aam Aadmi Party is the only party that has the integrity, courage & uprightness to take action against their own on grounds of corruption.
“I am taking strict action against the minister. I am removing him from the Cabinet. We have found substantial proof of his involvement in corruption case. I do not care if the Opposition parties want to use this to hit out at us, saying a minister removed on corruption charges within two months. The point is that we will not tolerate anyone indulging in such malpractices. Our party national convenor has made it clear that corruption will not be tolerated. He had himself removed a minister in Delhi in 2015 after corruption charges were levelled against the minister,” the chief minister said in a video message.
Mann claimed that Singla had admitted to wrongdoing.
It was after over three decades that Mansa had a minister from the assembly segment. Singla had also got the highest number of votes in this election. The action happened in just two months since the government was formed.