BJP holds demostration outside City Centre complex

Ludhiana, Sep 20 (UNI) Hundreds of BJP activists gathered outside the controversial Rs 3000 crore City Centre complex here shouting anti-government slogans and demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged City Centre scam.

Led by state BJP chief, Avinash Rai Khanna and Navjot Singh Sidhu Lok Sabha member from Amritsar, the protestors shouted slogans against Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Local Bodies Minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh. Holding the two responsible for the scam, they demanded their immediate resignation.

Addressing party workers, Mr Khanna and Mr Sidhu held Capt Singh and Chaudhary Singh responsible for the scam. ''Crore of money exchanged hands and the Chief Minister was all along aware of what was going on '', Mr Sidhu said.

Dismissing the vigilance inquiry ordered by the state government, Mr Khanna said this was just an eye washing. ''Only a CBI inquiry would establish the truth'', he added.

Refering to the suspension of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust by the government after the scam came to light through a sting operation conducted by a private TV newsd-channel, the BJP leaders said Trust functionaries acted on the instructions of the Chief Minister and the Local Bodies minister.

The Trust alloted the project to Today Homes and Infrastructures, ignoring the claims of some reputed companies on the instructions of the Chief Minister, they added.

State BJP vice president Laxmi Kanta Chawla termed the City Centre case as the ''mother of all scams in Punjab''. She said the party would intensify its agitation in the days to come.

Mr Sidhu challenged the Chief Minister to a public debate on the City Centre scam. ''I will quit politics if I run away from the debate'', he added in his characteristic style.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an ally of the BJP, had yesterday announced that it would send 'jathas' to the City Centre complex from September 27 onwards to protest against the scam. The SAD will also submit a memorandum to Governor S F Rodrigues on September 23 demanding dismissal of the Chief Minister and urge him to order a CBI inquiry into the scam.

The much publicised scam had rocked the just concluded session of the state Vidhan Sabha leading to the suspension of SAD and BJP MLAs from the House for disrupting the functioning of the assembly.

The BJP also organised a similar protest at Company Bagh chowk in Jalandhar today.

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