CHANDIGARH: A political storm has erupted in Punjab following the appointment of former additional chief secretary of Delhi Satya Gopal as chairman of the Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and another retired IRS officer Rakesh Goyal as the RERA member, as both are reportedly close to the
ruling AAP’s national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
Opposition Congress, SAD and BJP have alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has “completely sub-let governance” to the AAP leadership and that the CM is nothing more than a puppet, who dances to the tune of his bosses sitting in Delhi. Earlier the party’s Rajya Sabha nominations had triggered a similar controversy.
Reacting to the appointments, senior Congress Leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that he doubted the AAP’s intentions. “I have serious doubts that the senior AAP leadership sitting in Delhi has an eye on the profitable businesses of Punjab so that they could amass the party funds, which is perhaps required for the party expansion in other states. Previously, the party had chosen two big businessmen from Punjab for the Rajya Sabha. Reasons for their nominations to the RS are very well known to the Punjabis,’’ he said.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said that it was also shocking that the CM had completely sub-let governance to the AAP high command. “The AAP high command had previously masterminded the Rs 500-crore excise scam by handing over the entire liquor trade in Punjab to its favorites in Delhi. Now it is taking control of the real estate in Punjab,” said Badal.
Punjab BJP president Ashwani said the fresh appointments showed Kejriwal’s hatred of Punjabis. “It appears AAP has doubts in the capabilities of Punjabis. It has proved the Chief Minister of Punjab is Arvind Kejriwal and not Bhagwant Mann and the administration and government of Punjab are being run from Delhi,’’ he said.