Governance can wait, time to 145;settle scores146;

Less than two months in power, the Shiromani Akali Dal Badal government in Punjab has earned the dubious distinction of a 8216;government on a witch-hunt8217;.

Less than two months in power, the Shiromani Akali Dal Badal government in Punjab has earned the dubious distinction of a 8216;government on a witch-hunt8217;. It seems in a hurry to cut its political opponents to size.

Feeling the heat, the Opposition here, essentially the Congress, is crying foul alleging 8216;vendetta politics8217; in the state even as Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal discounts it as 8220;law taking its own course8221;.

After its debacle in the Assembly elections, infighting has increased in the Congress. It is finding it hard to match the might of the government. Leader of Opposition and former deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is talking about setting up marjivri squads of Congressmen who could fearlessly take on the 8216;oppression8217;.

Notwithstanding the political motives behind the move, both Bhattal and PPCC President Shamsher Singh Dullo have been desperately urging Capt Amarinder Singh to return to Punjab and join hands in fighting the government8217;s agenda on 8216;vendetta8217;.

Bhattal told The Indian Express, 8220;Parkash Singh Badal says something and does something else. Congress workers are everyday being harassed. We will not tolerate this.8221;

Shortly after the government took over, former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, his cabinet colleague Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee PPCC president Hanspal and several others were booked under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the infamous Ludhiana City Centre scam.

Capt Amarinder8217;s top cop S S Virk had to seek anticipatory bail from a Ropar court fearing arrest. The state government is also probing the assets of Capt Amarinder8217;s former media advisor B I S Chahal, who fearing arrest is now camping in Scotland.

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Despite the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issuing instructions for repatriating former DGP Virk back to Maharashtra, his parent cadre, the state government formally communicated its inability to relieve Virk. Talks are also doing the rounds that a case might be registered against Virk shortly who will then face criminal proceedings in Punjab. Certain top government functionaries during Capt Amarinder8217;s government too are likely to face action. A case involving the son of MP Rana Sodhi too was reopened recently. Certain mega projects that were approved during the Congress regime are also under the scanner.