Gurdaspur:Punjab Congress Chief Captain Amarinder Singh today asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as why he does not get his own Ford Foundation funding probed along with Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who is under fire for allegedly taking bribe for issuing tickets.

While the AAP leaders from Delhi and Uttar Pardesh were maligning Chhotepur for accepting party fund, why was Kejriwal silent on the massive money Sukhpal Khaira (AAP’s NRI wing incharge) and other leaders collected from the NRIs in United States and Canada when they visited these countries in last few months, he alleged.

He also sought a probe into the funding of Arvind Kejriwal’s NGO which was “funded” by the Ford Foundation which in turn “gets money from the CIA”.

He also asked the Delhi Chief Minister how he could run an NGO while being in the service of the union government.

“Charity begins at home and better begin the probe with your own funding from Ford foundation that is so suspicious and controversial”, he told Kejriwal.

On Congress party’s stand on Chhotepur and whether the party will welcome him back, the PCC president said, “Congress party’s doors are open for everyone whether Chhotepur, Navjot Sidhu (cricktere-turned-politician), Pargat Singh or Inderbir Bolaria (supended Akali Dal MLAs)”.

However, he made it categorically clear that there was no direct communication between the Congress party and these leaders.

Punjab govt ready to investigate corruption charges against

Ludhiana:Any complaint made by Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who was convenor Punjab unit of the AAP, against any of his party leader about corruption will be investigated, Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said here today.

He was reacting to utterances made by Chhotepur regarding corruption in AAP.

He, however, said that the complaint has to be written and specific against some particular leader.

He alleged that the AAP had a tie up with “radicals”.

He further alleged the AAP leaders had assured the radicals that they would be handed over the control of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee if they help them returning to power in Punjab.

When asked if he had any evidence to substantiate his charge, the deputy chief minister claimed that he had “sufficient evidence” in support of his allegation.

He alleged that more than half of the candidates announced by the AAP had criminal background.

AAP removes Chhotepur as Punjab convenor

New Delhi:Aam Aadmi Party today removed Sucha Singh Chhotepur as the party’s Punjab convenor over allegations that he took bribe from a ticket aspirant.

AAP’s highest decision making body, the Political Affairs Committee, took the decision in a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence here.

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann told reporters that Chhotepur will be given a chance to explain his stand to the party leadership and that his case has been referred to a two-member committee comprising Jasbir Singh and the AAP Punjab joint in-charge Jarnail Singh.

“The allegation is that Chhotepur sought Rs 60 lakh from from a ticket aspirant and the deal was fixed at Rs 30 lakh.

The person has already paid him Rs 4 lakh, of which Chotepur returned Rs 3 lakh. He kept the rest of the amount with him,” Mann said.

Meanwhile, Chhotepur, in a conference at Chandigarh, said, “I am saddened that the party, instead of defending me has levelled allegations against me.”

On the purported sting operation against him, Chhotepur said it was a “conspiracy” hatched by “my own friends within the party.”

21 AAP leaders from Punjab had yesterday shot off a letter to party’s national convenor Kejriwal asking him to immediately sack Chotepur from the party after a controversy erupted over a video clip allegedly showing him taking money.

“I have 40 years of political career. I am honest and a simple farmer. I am ready for CBI probe (on allegations of bribe). If found guilty they (AAP leadership) can hang me,” Chhotepur said.

He said that he fought elections for the seat of MLA, MP and SGPC general House, but it was always his well wishers who gave him funds.

“I never asked for money from anyone,” he said.

Hitting out at AAP leadership, he said that he raised the party in Punjab by toiling hard, but he was never given funds for the work.

“There is no state committee in Punjab, no treasurer, I am a state convenor but AAP leader Durgesh Pathak always ignored me,” he said.

“For the past one month Durgesh is not talking to me,” he said while claiming that this happened when he once told him in Amritsar that party volunteers are of the opinion that tickets will be sold.

Citing a Delhi meeting, he said that he had openly said in the meeting that the power centre is Durgesh. “He is distributing tickets,” he said.

Chhotepur, who had shown dissent on first list of 21 AAP candidates, said that he was in favour of honest person getting the party ticket.

Rejecting that he was a candidate for the CM post, he said, “I was never a candidate for the CM post. I am a simple and honest man.”

On his next course of action, he said that it would be decided by the voluteers.

“It is the volunteers who will decide whether I am a thief or a honest person. I don’t need certificate from them (AAP leadership),” he said.

He said that it was “unfortunate” that when a party convenor meets Deputy Chief Minister (Manish Sisodia) the entire thing is recorded. “He is a spy,” he said.

He said that he would not leave the AAP. “Rather I will strive hard for the party,” he said.

PTI

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