Chandigarh:
The Governor of Punjab, S F Rodrigues, in the eye of a storm after the Central Vigilance Commission ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in two mega projects in Chandigarh, has trained his guns at two Union ministers, Ambika Soni and Pawan Bansal, alleging that they are trying to frame him in a case of corruption to settle old scores.
Ambika Soni is the Union Information and Broadcasting and Pawan Bansal the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs & Water Resources.
Rodrigues says when he became Governor in 2004, land allotment for a new school in Chandigarh was being investigated. On the board of that proposed school was Pawan Bansal, then a sitting MP, and Ambika Soni, he says.
"In early 2006, a letter came casting doubts on the way Delhi Public School allotment was made. The Chief Justice asked for my personal opinion if that was correct. Now when this came up, I was worried but I thought it would be a huge embarrassment because Pawan Bansal and Ambika Soni both were vice chairpersons and Mr Soni was the chairperson and the family and children were the directors. I sent for the file. I realised I could no way justify the allotment. I told him, I am sorry the rules have been violated across the board. So he ordered resumption of that land," says the Punjab Governor.
That, Rodrigues alleges, became a point of bitter rivalry between him and Bansal.
In 2006, when Rodrigues was nominating Chandigarh corporators, Bansal complained to the high command alleging Rodrigues was anti-UPA. ''The present dispensation in Chandigarh Administration gives clear signals that it has nothing to do with UPA Government at the centre or its policies. A cursory look at every decision of the administration proves that beyond an iota of doubt,'' he had said.
"It is true that I wrote to him when he wanted to change city plans. He didn't agree with me. But other people did," says Ambika Soni.
Recently, Bansal alleged that the Chandigarh Administration under Rodrigues has leased out 100 acres of land arbitrarily to two builders below market rates. The investigation has been referred to the CBI.
"He is playing around with my reputation," says Pawan Bansal.
In New Delhi, Ambika Soni reacts to the Governor's charge by saying: "He has no compulsion of what is correct or otherwise and has lost no opportunity in leveling baseless and false accusations. Since he holds a constitutional post at the pleasure of the President of India, I have restrained myself from making any comment on his statement."
She then goes into a three- page rebuttal explaining the circumstances in which she intervened in the allotment of schools as well as traces of wrong accusations. Soni says that "in my 40 years of public life, I have consciously shunned any attempt to mix business for money gain with discharge of my duties as a public servant. I have stood for transparency and probity in public life."
Sources say that the timing is crucial for both sides as the Governor's term ends in November and he might be hoping for a second term.