Punjab minister Fauja Singh Sarari resigns after ‘extortion plan’ audio leak…

Written & Edited By : Aditi Mishra

7 January 2023 ( New Delhi ) : AAP leader Fauja Singh Sarari has resigned as a minister in the Punjab cabinet months after an audio clip surfaced in which he was allegedly heard “fixing a deal to extort money”. Punjab’s Horticulture Minister Fauja Singh Sarairi today resigned from the cabinet, months after being named in an extortion case.

According to sources, Sarari has sent his resignation to Bhagwant Mann, who has accepted it. Citing personal reasons as the reason for his resignation, he said that he is and will remain a loyal soldier of the party. Punjab’s Horticulture Minister Fauja Singh Sarairi today resigned from the cabinet, months after being named in an extortion case.
Soon after his resignation, the Aam Aadmi Party government decided to expand the cabinet and inducted Dr. Balbir Singh into the cabinet.

Sarri was selected as a minister to join the cabinet in July. In September, an audio clip went viral in which the minister was allegedly heard discussing an extortion plan to trap food grain transporters. The audio clip was leaked by his close aide Tarsem Lal Kapoor. Sarari has always maintained that the audio clip has been tampered with.
Sarai became the second minister in the Aam Aadmi Party government to be dropped from the cabinet. Earlier, Dr Vijay Singla was dropped from the cabinet following allegations of alleged corruption.

After the resignation of Fauja Singh Sarari, there is a possibility of swearing in the new minister in a simple program at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh before 5 pm today.
According to sources, there is a possibility of major reshuffle in the Punjab cabinet and new faces may get a chance. At present, apart from Bhagwant Mann, there are 13 ministers in the cabinet as CM. four ministers replaced in the cabinet.