Behind a legal notice, the truth cannot be suppressed; the battle will now be fought in court. Rajveer Ghuman should come prepared with documents, and the court will decide who is telling the truth and who is lying : Arshdeep Singh Kler

Behind a legal notice, the truth cannot be suppressed; the battle will now be fought in court. Rajveer Ghuman should come prepared with documents, and the court will decide who is telling the truth and who is lying : Arshdeep Singh Kler

Even your mentor Kejriwal had to fold his hands and apologise to Majithia. Now it is your turn. The OSD dancing to Bhagwant Mann’s tune should remember: “Everyone will be caught” : Kler

Chandigarh 21 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Shiromani Akali Dal chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler hit back at the legal notice sent by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s OSD Rajveer Ghuman to Bikram Singh Majithia, saying that the notice was not a legal process but a calculated conspiracy to suppress the voice of truth and divert the attention of the people of Punjab. Kler said, “Rajveer Singh, in your interviews and in the letter, you have admitted your name, accepted the friendship, admitted the chats and accepted the ED letter. When you have admitted everything yourself, what is the notice for? This is now a matter for the ED investigation. Do not try to divert it at the behest of your mentor.”

He said that ever since Bikram Singh Majithia raised questions over the transactions, properties, companies and benami businesses allegedly linked to Rajveer Ghuman and Nitin Gohal, the Bhagwant Mann government had become badly rattled and was now using its OSD to issue legal notices as a means of intimidation. Arshdeep Kler said in a strong tone, “Ghuman Sahib, this battle will no longer be fought on Twitter or through press conferences. It will now be fought in court. Come fully prepared and bring all the documents being questioned, including those relating to the lands, hotels, resorts and benami accounts being discussed. We too will place every document, piece of evidence and fact available with us before the court. The court will decide who is speaking the truth and who is lying.”

The Shiromani Akali Dal, he said, had never been afraid of threats and would not be intimidated by legal notices either. “If you have so much faith in your innocence, come to court and answer every question,” he said. He said the entire statement was being made directly at the behest of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. “This is nothing new. Whenever this government gets surrounded by allegations of corruption, Bhagwant Mann pushes both his OSDs, Rajveer Ghuman and Nitin Gohal, to the forefront to divert attention from the main issue,” he alleged. Rajveer Ghuman and Nitin Gohal, he alleged, were not acting alone and claimed that the entire “trio” behind Bhagwant Mann was working with them. He said the people of Punjab had now understood who was actually running the government and where the real decisions were being taken.

Kler said Majithia’s political philosophy had always been that anyone who violated the law or looted Punjab would be brought to justice. “We have fought both legal and political battles in the past and will continue to do so. Legal notices cannot silence us,” he said. Reminding the AAP leadership of the past, Kler said their “mentor” Arvind Kejriwal had also levelled allegations against Bikram Singh Majithia over drugs and had eventually been forced to publicly apologise to him with folded hands. “History is witness that lies do not survive for long and truth ultimately prevails. Rajveer Ghuman knows very well whose turn is next,” he said.

“We will not engage in statements in the media. We will speak directly in court, place every document there, and the truth will become clear. Who used to come and go to the Chief Minister’s Office, what is contained in the chats, and what other serious allegations are involved, all of this will be placed before the court. The truth will come before the people of Punjab,” Kler said. Taking a jibe at Ghuman in the end, he reminded him of a song by Parmish Verma, “Sab Phadhe Jaange” (Everyone will be caught). “Wait for the time to come. The law will take its course, and whoever is guilty will certainly have to stand in the dock. The Shiromani Akali Dal will continue to bring the truth before the people of Punjab and fight every battle against corruption till the end, as promised to the people,” he said.