Aroosa Alam coming to India for 16 years with govt permission, says Amarinder Singh; calls Punjab govt probe ‘baseless’

Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has said a probe would be carried out to ascertain whether Aroosa Alam, who has been visiting Amarinder Singh for several years, has links with the ISI.

Key Highlights

• Instead of focussing on maintaining law and order, the deputy chief minister has put the DGP on a baseless investigation, said Amarinder

• Randhawa has stepped up the attack on Singh

• Punjab faces threat from Amarinder Singh, he said

New Delhi: Captain Amarinder Singh has accused Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa of resorting to personal attacks hours after the latter said that a probe would be carried out to ascertain whether Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam has links with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Alam has been visiting the former chief minister Amarinder Singh for several years.

In a series of tweets, Singh said that he never heard Randhawa complain about Alam’s visit when he was a minister in his cabinet.

He further said that she has been coming to India for 16 years with due clearances from the Union government.

Are you alleging that both NDA and UPA led governments in this period connived with Pak ISI, he questioned.

“One month after taking over this is all you have to show to the people. What happened to your tall promises on Bargari & drugs cases? Punjab is still waiting for your promised action,” the Captain asked.

The Captain expressed disappointment over the probe saying that instead of focusing on maintaining law and order at a time when terror threat is high and festivals are around the corner, the Deputy CM has entrusted Punjab DGP Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota with a baseless investigation at the cost of Punjab’s safety.

Responding to his, Randhawa asked why the former CM is so perturbed over the probe on Aroosa and ISI links.

“Who sponsored her visa and everything concerning her will be thoroughly probed. I hope everyone concerned will cooperate with police in the probe,” he added.

Taking a dig at the Captain over being removed from the CM post, Randhawa said that he suffered because he failed to fulfil the commitment towards Guru Sahib even after taking an oath of holy ‘Gutka Sahib’.

Punjab is and will remain in safe hand under the Congress government, he added.

Calling himself a true nationalist, the Deputy CM said that Captain should not worry about the law and order situation as the current dispensation has not outsourced the Punjab government to anyone.

Earlier, Randhawa had accused Singh of betraying Punjab and siding with those who never thought about the welfare of the state.