Congress questions Badal's U-turn on 'scamster' realtor

Chandigarh, March 29 (IANS) Having sought a CBI probe into a Rs.1,500 crore land scam by a real estate developer in 2006 and then giving a party ticket to the same person for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections has come to haunt Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, with the Congress now seeking an explanation on his U-turn.

Revealing a memorandum submitted by Badal to the then Punjab governor in December 2006 against an alleged Rs.1,500 crore land scam by Kulwant Singh, managing director of Janta Land Promoters Ltd. (JLPL), Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira Saturday demanded that Badal should explain as to how the same realtor had become the Akali Dal candidate for the Lok Sabha polls.

Millionaire realtor Kulwant Singh has been fielded by the ruling Akali Dal as its candidate for the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha seat.

"How once a scamster, fraudster and a corrupt businessman can become a blue-eyed boy of a politician within three months, can best be explained after perusal of the eight page memorandum, submitted by Mr. Badal as president SAD to the then governor on Dece 6, 2006," Khaira said.

He alleged that Badal, who was refusing to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Rs.6,000 crore drug trafficking scandal, in which names of his ministers had been linked, demanded a CBI probe only on things which suited him.

"Badal accused Kulwant Singh of JLPL of violating all rules and norms to develop 120 acres of premium land meant for public parks in Sector 91 of Mohali, to illegitimately earn Rs.1,500 crore profit. Besides other allegations, Badal also demanded the resignation of then chief minister Amarinder Singh for favouring Kulwant Singh," Khaira said.

"After coming to power in March 2007, Badal made a complete political summersault and began defending the same corrupt, tainted and scamster Kulwant Singh and his JLPL," Khaira said, adding that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had made scathing comments against the Akali Dal-BJP government for failing to act on its own memorandum against the JLPL scandal.

Khaira alleged that Badal, who came to power within three months of the memorandum, failed to take any action on Kulwant Singh and JLPL and instead his government promoted the business interests of JLPL.

Accusing Badal of "political opportunism, double standards and unethical politics", Khaira asked the chief minister to explain his stand on the issue.