Days after giving an ultimatum to his predecessor Charanjit Singh Channi to make public all information regarding the player from whom a bribe of Rs 2 crore for a job was sought, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday produced the cricketer, Jassinder Singh Baidwan, to prove that Channi had sought bribe from him.
Mann indicated to take action against Channi on the complaint and announced that they would start the process of giving Jassinder a job.
Flanked by Jassinder and his father Manjinder Singh, Mann – while addressing the media at 2 pm on Wednesday – said that Jassinder was a backup player in Kings XI and was seeking a job from the previous Congress government, when
Channi had referred him to his nephew “Jashan”.
He said Jassinder is a former Ranji Trophy player and had played in several coveted tournaments. He had applied for a job through Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) under sports quota, Mann added.
Producing pictures of Channi with Jassinder, Mann said these were clicked at Punjab Bhawan during Channi’s tenure as CM. Mann said, “When Jassinder met Channi, his request for a job was read out to Channi by the Principal Secretary to CM, Hussan Lal. Channi then asked Jassinder to meet his nephew Jashan. When Jassinder and his father met Jashan, he gestured to them by making a number of 2 with his fingers that a job will cost them this amount. The father-son duo became very happy thinking that they would be able to arrange the money. When they came back with Rs 2 lakh, they were told that they were asked for Rs 2 crore.”
Mann said that Jashan then took them to Channi, who then asked Jassinder’s father that why should he give his son a job. According to Manjinder, while Channi was talking this “nonsense”, the then MLA of Mohali, Balbir Singh Sidhu, was also standing there.
“Now the proof is in front of you despite Channi going to Gurdwara Katalgarh Sahib and offering an ardas to say that he had never asked anyone for money,” Mann said, adding that he will give another opportunity to Channi to ask his relatives about the bribe they sought.
The CM said that Jassinder had met him at Dharamshala when he had gone to watch Punjab team’s IPL match. “I also happened to be there. Officials of Punjab team asked me to watch it. I met a player there. He said he had given a PPSC test but could not get a job as he could not pay the bribe.”
Mann said that Jassinder had appeared for a PPSC exam and got 198.5 marks while the cut-off score was 132.5 for men under sports quota. He had appeared for the examination in sports quota, but the result was considered in general quota. In sports quota he was the topper. Then he started going to ministers. He went to meet with then CM Captain Amarinder Singh. His OSD M P Singh narrated the case to Amarinder Singh. When the player told him that PPSC does not consider cricket to be a sport, Amarinder Singh wrote a letter to the Home Department stating that this should be put up in the Cabinet meeting. But soon Amarinder Singh was replaced, and Channi became the CM.
Channi, however, refuted the allegations. Addressing a press conference while being flanked by his nephew Dr Jashan Singh, who has been accused by CM Mann of having sought a bribe of Rs 2 crore, Channi said that his nephew is a doctor and has appeared for MD entrance exam. “He has no interference in my work life,” Channi said.
Channi added that Mann was trying to defame his entire family. He said the cricketer that the CM is talking about is a D-grade player. He could not be given a job of PCS under sports quota. PPSC had rejected his application. That is why he was considered in general category, under which he did not have enough marks to make the cut. After that, Jassinder had moved the high court, but he did not get any benefit.
Jashan, while addressing the media, said that he had never met Jassinder. Channi said that as CM he used to meet many people. “I am not saying he may not have met me, but I do not remember. At functions, many people come and meet you. And they usually want to be clicked with the CM.”
Channi said that if the player who had gone to Amarinder Singh and then allegedly approached him seeking a job, then he would have gone to Mann also. “That is why Mann is now cooking up stories against me,” Channi said.
Former sports minister Pargat Singh, who was also accompanying Channi, said that under sports quota, only Olympians, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medallists are given A class jobs. In cricket, if someone has displayed an outstanding performance at international level, he/she can be given a job. For instance, Harbhajan Singh had a hat-trick in World Cup and Harmanpreet had hit a double century. Pargat Singh said that Punjab had scores of D grade players and if a D grade player is given an A class job, the government will have to accommodate hundreds of such players then.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, who also accompanied Channi to the presser, said that Jassinder was being made an official witness by given him promises. He said Mann had spoiled the dignity of the CM’s office. “Channi does not need to give any clarifications. The CM should first clear his stand on Lal Chand Kataruchak and Fauja Singh Sarari.”
Responding to a question, he said that the Congress leaders would not like to see the face of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. “We would not like to see his face. Do you think we will have an alliance with him?” said Bajwa.
