Take your own course and let the law take its own.’’ Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, has told his two ministers named in the “Gujarat sex racket” not to cooperate with the investigating agency, the Gujarat Police. The party, he assured them, will even move the Supreme Court to make sure they get an ‘‘impartial’’ inquiry. Talking to media persons here today, the CM, who was opening the first Child Protection Unit (CPU) in the state, made it loud and clear that he was with his men. ‘‘I’ve told them not to cooperate with the Gujarat Police in connection with the investigation of this case,’’ he said. Third man: Delhi MLA files suit NEW DELHI: Strongly denying his involvement in an alleged sex scandal in Gujarat, Arvinder Singh Lovely, a Congress MLA from Delhi, today said he had filed a defamation case of Rs 1 crore and a criminal case against the Gujarat Home Minister for levelling such ‘‘baseless’’ allegations and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. Dismissing the case as politically motivated, he said: ‘‘Why was the Gujarat Home Minister silent for the past two months? Why is it being raised just before the Himachal Assembly elections?’’ The news regarding the alleged sex racket was first reported in a vernacular paper published from Jalandhar, he reminded the gathering. The CM said he himself had gone to Gujarat in connection with the party’s campaign for the Assembly elections, and had stayed in the Hotel Taj Regency Ummed where the incident had allegedly taken place. With the chief ministers of eight states camping there, the hotel, he said, had been turned into a virtual fortess. ‘‘How could anyone resort to such activities amidst such tight security?’’ he added. Ridiculing the charges, he said such cases can be slapped on anybody. ‘‘Even we can get a similar case registered against Gujarat CM Narendra Modi when he comes to Punjab,’’ he said, adding that the BJP was stooping to this smear campaign, for it was left with no issues for the HP Assembly elections. The Punjab CM said his party would move the Supreme Court and demand that the matter be investigated by some sitting or retired judge. ‘‘We’ll try our best that the investigation into this matter is done outside Gujarat.’’ When asked whether he would seek a CBI inquiry, Amarinder shook his head, saying that being a Central agency, it was more ‘‘vulnerable’’ to pressure from the Central govt. CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 17: Punjab Cabinet ministers Partap Singh Bajwa and Amarjit Singh Samra today sought an inquiry by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court into the ‘‘Gujarat sex racket’’. Addressing a joint press conference, they said they had no faith in any Central agency or the Gujarat government and were thus seeking an inquiry by the Supreme Court. Rubbishing the Gujarat government’s claim of their involvement, Bajwa said the allegations were timed to coincide with the visit of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in Himachal Pradesh. ‘‘It’s an election stunt and is meant to defame the Congress,’’ Bajwa added. He said the delay of over two months between their Gujarat visit and the revelations raises questions about the intent of the Gujarat government. The ministers said they will file two defamation suits amounting to Rs 100 crore, both civil and criminal, against Modi and Gujarat Home minister. ‘‘It is beyond our imagination that a national party which is ruling in many states as well as the Centre could stoop to such a low level and organise a malicious campaign based on lies,’’ Bajwa said. The ministers said the campaign began after CM Amarinder Singh levelled corruption charges against Himachal CM P.K. Dhumal. (ENS)
