Rift in Punjab cabinet out in the open over ex-DGP arrest

CHANDIGARH: After the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered release of former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in a cheating case, state cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Friday sought removal of the advocate general, home secretary and vigilance bureau chief director for their "professional incompetence".
However, chief minister Amarinder Singh, while responding to Randhawa's sharp remarks, asked the ministers and party colleagues to "check facts" before making any statement.
The HC had on Thursday night ordered the release of Saini, who was arrested on charges of cheating, forgery and corruption among others. He was released from vigilance custody early Friday. A single bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi had pronounced the verdict.
Randhawa, the jails minister, also tagged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in his tweet seeking the removals.
Saini was arrested by the state's vigilance bureau on Wednesday night in connection with a case registered in September 2020 for cheating, forgery, corruption and other offences.
Reacting to Randhawa's remarks, the CM asked his ministers to discuss issues, especially sensitive ones, with him or at the party platform before going public.
Earlier, Randhawa had criticised the CM on the issue of poll promises, including alleged delay in justice in the 2015 sacrilege and post-sacrilege police firing incidents.