New Delhi, Dec 29: Akali Dal President and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and urged for a CBI inquiry into the alleged involvement of Raninder Singh, son of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, in a purported Hawala deal.
"We met the Prime Minister and discussed with him the issue of Raninder Singh's alleged involvement in the Hawala deal. The Prime Minister assured us of appropriate action into the matter," Badal said after the meeting. Badal said he had pressed for the registration of a case against Rajinder either through CBI or Directorate of Revenue Intelligence or any other appropriate authority.


"The scandal, which could have the nature and magnitude of the fake stamp paper scandal and had the potential to destabilise national economy, needed to be investigated at the highest level," Badal said.

The former chief minister was referring to a media report which had alleged that money was being sent out of the country in a "suspicious" manner at the instance of Raninder by using the name of the Punjab government for the formation of Punjab intranet company.


Since the name of the Punjab government was used in the memorandum of ABT Tech, Singapore, the chief minister must answer as to what were the true antecedents and character of the company, he said.
Bureau Report