Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Pargat Singh raises conflict of interest concerns over Punjab Cabinet expansion
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 1, 2025: Senior Congress leader and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh has raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest in the recent Punjab Cabinet expansion, indirectly targeting the induction of the newly elected Ludhiana West MLA into Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s cabinet.
In a sharply worded post on social media, Pargat Singh questioned the ethics of assigning ministerial portfolios to individuals with known private business interests.
“If we truly want to eliminate corruption, Punjab needs a law to address conflict of interest in the Vidhan Sabha. When ministers are assigned departments connected to their private businesses, how can public interest come before personal gain?” he wrote.
Without naming any individual, Pargat Singh appeared to reference Sanjeev Arora, the newly inducted minister from Ludhiana West, who has a well-known business background. Arora was recently given charge of key economic portfolios, including Industry, Commerce, Investment Promotion, and NRI Affairs.
Singh also accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of double standards, pointing out that while it was investigating conflict of interest allegations involving a former minister, it remained silent on similar concerns involving the new cabinet entrant.
“Why the selective silence? On one hand, the government probes past ministers, but on the other, it avoids addressing the same issue now,” Singh added.
He recalled that even during the Congress government’s tenure, efforts were initiated to draft conflict of interest legislation, though the process was never completed.
He urged the Mann government to revive the initiative and enact clear laws to prevent personal business interests from clashing with public responsibilities.
While the government has yet to respond officially, political observers view Pargat Singh’s comments as the first open challenge from the opposition questioning the integrity of the recent cabinet reshuffle.