No inquiry against top police officers, Amarinder tells AAP
Chandigarh, July 3: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ruled out an inquiry against state Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora and DGP, Intelligence, Dinkar Gupta over allegations of shielding other senior police officers on the drugs racket in the state.
Amarinder Singh, who met a delegation of senior AAP leaders who raised the issue of the drugs menace in the state, particularly in the context of the recent spate of drug-related deaths, rejected the demand for inquiry into allegations against the two senior police officers.
The Chief Minister described them as "upright officers in whose honesty he had full faith", a spokesman for the Chief Minister said here.
There were allegations that both top police officers had been shielding former Moga Senior Superintendent of Police Raj Jit Singh against whom allegations of links to the drugs trade were levelled.
The Chief Minister told the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) delegation that he shared their concern over the problem, and that three big drug dealers who had fled India had been identified and police and other agencies were in pursuit of them.
The 12-member AAP delegation demanded a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry and action on the Special Task Force (STF) report, to which the Chief Minister pointed out that the matter was before the court, which was already monitoring the action.
The AAP leaders, who demanded a special assembly session to discuss the issue, expressed concern over the easy availability of drugs in certain areas, as well as reports of sharing of drug money with police.
On the issue of drug-related deaths, the delegation said they suspected intravenous injection of some concoctions by the addicts, while Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann said the addicts could go to any extent to curb withdrawal symptoms.
He was of the view that the panches and sarpanches in villages and municipal councillors in urban areas should be motivated to identify the drug addicts and those supplying drugs to innocent youth.
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BJP slams move to make CM Siddaramaiah as RDPR varsity chancellor replacing Guv
Bengaluru (PTI): Opposition BJP on Friday condemned the government's move to make the chief minister the chancellor of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) University replacing the governor, terming it as an attempt to pollute the higher education system.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra said this attempt to cut down on the powers of the governor is a conspiracy to upset the constitutional system.
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved a bill, according to which the chief minister will be appointed as the chancellor, replacing the governor at the RDPR University in Gadag.
The governor is the chancellor for all public universities in Karnataka.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot currently holds the post.
"With a good intention that politics should not mix in education and as per the intent of the constitution, the Governor who is also the constitutional head of the state is the chancellor of the universities. But the government led by Siddaramaiah (CM), which is engaged in a series of corruption, by abusing its existing powers, is trying to pollute the higher education system," Vijayendra posted on 'X'.
He said the government's move will allow "unnecessary political interference" in the field of rural development studies.
"The Congress government, which has been impatient towards the governor since the beginning, sees him as an enemy to cut down on the powers, and it is a conspiracy to upset the constitutional system. This move of the state government is highly condemnable," he added.
Earlier in September, the cabinet, at a meeting held in Kalaburagi, decided to divest the governor of the power to appoint the vice-chancellor of RDPR University.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday defended the government's move and said, "It will make the university more active and quick decisions will be taken...this system is there in many states, including Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh."
