Badal dares arrest, Capt dithers

The state has even scrapped the idea of a judicial commission to investigate Badal’s alleged misdeeds. No case has been registered either.

Badal’s close aides — including Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and ministers — however have been arrested at regular intervals. These include Tota Singh, Sucha Singh Langah, and Ajit Singh Kohar, and OSD Hardeep Singh Bhambra as also all members of the Subordinate Selection Board.

The state Vigilance Department has filed cases against five former ministers. Akali Dal has been shouting political vendetta, and Badal alleged all five were being forced to implicate him in corruption cases.

His son Sukhbir said: ‘‘Had the government any shred of evidence, they would have organised a press conferences and already arrested us.’’

Amarinder, however, said today that Badal would be arrested as soon as a ‘‘foolproof case’’ is built. Evidence is being collected, he said and refused to elaborate. ‘‘The arrest,’’ he said, ‘‘would be on corruption charges’’. Amarinder has said this earlier too.

Badal scoffed at the idea and offered to hand himself over. During the Assembly session in June, he offered to accompany Amarinder to any jail. ‘‘I was not afraid of Indira Gandhi’s jails. What to talk of Amarinder’s jails?’’ he said.

The CM retorted his jail would be different. ‘‘It would not be guest houses where Badal was lodged earlier. I’ll show him real jails for the first time,’’ he said.

Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Singh Badal said Amarinder’s eight months in power were reminiscent of the Emergency and the days of terrorism. ‘‘The state is witnessing vendetta as seen in Tamil Nadu and Haryana,’’ he said.

Reportedly the Vigilance Department’s inquiry into Badal’s foreign properties have failed to make much headway. Badal has said he doesn’t own any property abroad, and if proved wrong, he would quit politics.

Amarinder has alleged Badal owns nightclubs and parking lots in the US, as also farms in Australia. Badal has filed a criminal case against the CM and claimed Rs 5 crore as compensation for defamation.

According to Congress sources, Badal is steadily managing to corner sympathy alleging Congress’ political vendetta.