Punjab Health Minister sacked by CM Bhagwant Mann over corruption allegations, arrested

Sacked Punjab Health Minister Vijay Singla is a legislator from the Mansa Assembly. CM Mann ordered the registration of an FIR against the minister.

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday sacked his Health Minister Vijay Singla from the cabinet over alleged corruption charges. The Chief Minister said the health minister was "involved in corruption cases'' and they had solid proof of that.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann sacks state's Health Minister Vijay Singla following complaints of corruption against him. He was demanding a 1% commission from officials for contracts. Concrete evidence found against Singla: Punjab CMO pic.twitter.com/YGFw1SYtzk — ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2022

The sacked minister is a legislator from the Mansa Assembly. CM Mann also ordered the registration of an FIR against the minister. The sacked minister is alleged to have demanded one per cent commission from each government tender.

CM Mann said there would be "zero tolerance" for corruption. The Chief Minister took the big step after receiving complaints against the Health Minister. 

आम आदमी पार्टी का जन्म ईमानदार सिस्टम कायम करने के लिए हुआ है...@ArvindKejriwal जी ने हमेशा कहा है कि भ्रष्टाचार को बर्दाश्त नहीं करेंगे चाहे कोई अपना हो या बेगाना

स्वास्थ्य मंत्री के खिलाफ भ्रष्टाचार के सबूत मिलते ही तुरंत बर्खास्त किया...साथ ही FIR के आदेश दिए pic.twitter.com/VBTPeWqUSR — Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) May 24, 2022

 Minutes later, Vijay Singla was arrested by the state's anti-corruption department in connection with the corruption charges against him, reported ANI. 

Shortly after Punjab CM sacked the minister over alleged corruption, he was highly praised by his party boss, Arvind Kejriwal, who said the move "brought tears to my eyes".

This is only the second time in the country's history that a Chief Minister has taken such strict action against their own cabinet colleague. Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had sacked one of his Ministers on corruption charges in 2015.