ED seeks legal opinion on naming AAP as accused in liquor policy
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is seeking legal opinion on accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of money laundering in relation to the Delhi liquor policy.
The Supreme Court, while hearing the bail appeals by senior leader of AAP Manish Sisodia Wednesday, had asked the ED why the party itself had not been named as an accused in the case, since the investigation agency had said that the AAP had benefited from the now-scrapped liquor policy, reports NDTV. The apex court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SV Bhatti had asked the ED on Wednesday, "With regard to the PMLA, your whole case is that the benefits went to a political party, but that party has still not been made an accused or impleaded. How do you answer that?"
The court had also asked the agency if a cabinet note could be examined by a court of law, with Justice Khanna saying, "I believe certain Constitution bench judgments bar us from examining cabinet notes, but, I do not know if the bar on such examination applies to Delhi, which is a Union Territory." He added that the issue of what is spoken in the Parliament cannot be dealt with by a Supreme Court bench and the matter had been referred to a larger bench of law.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who represents the ED, is expected to respond to both queries of the apex court bench, on the accusation of AAP and checking a cabinet note, on Thursday.
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
