Mann claims Channi's kin demanded Rs 2 cr from cricketer for job, ex-CM denies

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday alleged that the nephew of his predecessor Charanjit Singh Channi had demanded Rs 2 crore from a cricketer to secure him a government job under the sports quota.

Mann made the claim while addressing a gathering after laying foundation stones for setting up tehsil complexes at Dirba and Cheema in Sangrur.

Channi, however, rejected Mann's allegations and slammed the chief minister for spreading canards against him.

During his address, Mann said his government has given jobs to more than 29,000 youths completely on merit since assuming office.

Mann said he met a Punjab cricketer in Dharamshala when he was in Himachal Pradesh to watch an Indian Premier League match last week.

"I will not reveal his name. He plays in Punjab's team," said Mann.

The chief minister claimed the cricketer told him that he had applied for a government job under the sports quota.

When Amarinder Singh was the chief minister, the cricketer was told that he would get the job, said Mann.

Mann claimed that the cricketer and his father then met Channi -- who replaced Singh as chief minister -- and he told them to meet his nephew.

The cricketer told Mann that he met Channi's nephew, who assured him that he would get a job but raised a demand for "two", the Punjab chief minister claimed.

"The player took Rs 2 lakh to Channi's nephew, who abused him and said 'two' means Rs 2 crore."

"They (Channi) call themselves poor. For them 'two' means Rs 2 crore, not Rs 2 lakh," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said.

Later, speaking to reporters, Channi hit out at Mann for levelling serious allegations against him and rubbished the claims.

The Congress leader said he never took money for jobs or transfers through his nephew.

Meanwhile, Mann said the previous regimes in Punjab had "mercilessly plundered" the state due to which it had lagged behind in progress.

The state government will recover every single penny from "these corrupt leaders who robbed the state", Mann asserted.

Slamming the Centre for imposing a value cut on shrivelled and broken wheat grains, Mann said filling the national food pool is not possible without the hardworking and resilient farmers of Punjab.

He said every single penny of value cut imposed on farmers will be "extracted" from the Centre with interest when it seeks supply of wheat and paddy for the central pool.

Mann also accused the Centre of being indifferent towards Punjab and its farmers and said such treatment cannot be tolerated.

The chief minister further slammed the Union government for "unnecessarily harassing" the state by depriving it of its legitimate share.

Punjab's share of Rs 3,000 crore under the Rural Development Fund (RDF) is still pending with the Union government, he said.

"RDF is our right," Mann asserted.