Chandigarh, March 21 Several political leaders, including Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Saturday criticised the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab over the recent suicide of a government employee.
They demanded a CBI investigation into the circumstances that led to the employee's death.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar tendered his resignation after the chief minister demanded it amid allegations of aiding suicide.
Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the district manager of Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar, ended his life by consuming poison on Friday.
In a purported video that surfaced on social media on Saturday, Randhawa, who also held the additional charge of Patti, was heard accusing the transport minister of harassment.
Mann has directed the chief secretary to conduct an impartial probe into the matter.
Addressing a rally in Punjab's Lehragaga, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of indulging in corruption, which has forced even government employees to take extreme steps.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia called Bhullar's resignation an "eye wash" and demanded his immediate arrest and a CBI probe. He said the government is merely "putting on a show" and Bhullar could be cleared within days.
"If the government is serious about justice, it should register a murder case under Section 302 and take the minister into custody immediately," the SAD leader said.
Majithia claimed that handing over the probe to Chief Secretary K A P Sinha was part of a "cover-up operation." The chief secretary and state police were "puppets" of Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, and would act as directed, he alleged.
AAP, which claims to be "staunchly honest", has instead emerged as "staunchly dishonest", he said, alleging a gap between the party's claims and actions.
Majithia described Randhawa as an honest and capable officer who held a BSc, MSc and PhD in Agriculture and had an MBA; he was given additional responsibilities, including that of the Tarn Taran district, due to his competence.
The SAD leaders alleged that continuous pressure was exerted on Randhawa to allot warehouse tenders in the name of Bhullar's father and "such circumstances were created that he was forced to take this extreme step."
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said Chief Minister Mann no longer has any moral basis to remain in power.
Speaking to mediapersons here, Jakhar said the BJP will fight at every level to ensure justice for the deceased officer's family.
"Earlier, people in Punjab were committing suicide due to their inability to pay extortion money under gangster rule. Now, even government officers are being forced to take their lives as they couldn't meet alleged demands from ministers," Jakhar said, stating that the death was akin to a broad daylight murder of an officer.
He said Bhullar should be booked and arrested immediately.
Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa and MPs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Gurjeet Aujla, met Randhawa's bereaved family members in Amritsar.
Bajwa said the circumstances surrounding the death are extremely disturbing and raised serious questions.
He emphasised that the family deserves justice, and accountability must be ensured at all costs.
The LoP said serious allegations have surfaced against Bhullar, including claims of assault, coercion and sustained harassment.
"In such a grave situation, my first demand as the leader of the opposition is that an FIR should be registered immediately for aiding suicide. Laljit Singh Bhullar must be arrested without delay, and the case should be handed over to the CBI for a fair and impartial investigation," he said.
Bajwa said the onus is on the Punjab government and police to demonstrate that Rule of Law prevails in the state and it applies equally to all.
Any delay or inaction will only deepen public mistrust and raise doubts about the government's intent, he said.