Chandigarh, March 29, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler today said Punjab Mandi Board chief engineer Jatinder Singh Bhangu had proven himself as a coward who had first issued death threats and was now making excuses to go back on them.
Speaking to newsmen here, Mr Arshdeep Kler said “Bhangu has admitted he called me in anger. He has admitted to some of the things he said but has gone back on the threats he made saying part of the call has been doctored by using artificial intelligence”.
The SAD leader said the fact of the matter was that he had received a call from the Mandi Board official and not the other way round. “Bhangu has admitted to this. Moreover the call has been recorded by me from my second number. I challenge him to prove it is false”.
Mr Kler asserted the ball was now in the Punjab government’s court. I have submitted a complaint to the ADGP, Law and Order. “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who holds the home portfolio, should also take note of the incident.
He should ascertain whether an officer sitting at such a high post could make threatening calls and get away with it and whether service rules are applicable to Bhangu or not?”.
Speaking about the defence taken by Bhangu to avoid punishment in the case, Mr Kler said “on the one hand the chief engineer admits he is close to Dibrugarh detainee Amritpal Singh. However he also has all praise for the government which had imposed the National Security Act (NSA) against Amritpal.
Similarly Bhangu says he resents me and carries animosity towards me but has nothing to say against the chief minister who has imposed NSA against Sikh youth”.
Asking the Mandi Board officer not to indulge double games, Mr Kler said “it is a fact that the NIA raided your residence twice and questioned you regarding your links with radical elements. You are also responsible for negotiating the surrender of Amritpal Singh after the latter went underground for three months.
You cannot be doing all this and still claim that you are working in public interest as a State government official”.
Kler also dismissed Bhangu’s claim that the former was not of his level. “If this was so you would not have rung me”. He also asserted Bhangu was trying to divert attention from his misdeeds by picking on senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia who had taken him head on”. EOM
