Former DG of Rajasthan Anti Corruption Bureau ( ACB ) BL Soni, who was considered close to former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, has joined BJP. Arun Chaturvedi, chairman of BJP joining committee and Narayan Panchariya, chairman election management committee facilitated his membership at BJP headquarters.
BL Soni, who was once top contender to be the DG police in Gehlot government, of late had been critical about Ashok Gehlot and the previous Congress government. Soni could not become DGP despite the wish of chief minister Ashok Gehlot as the then DGP ML Lather decided not to leave the post in between and continue for full two-year term.
“Even after retirement, BL Soni was not adjusted in any post retirement appointments. This must have soured the relationship between Gehlot and Soni,” said a senior police official.
BL Soni has launched attack on the working of Gehlot and his government several times during last eight months. He had been critical about inaction of Gehlot government on issues of paper leak and corruption in RPSC, the nodal agency for government jobs in Rajasthan.
Soni after joining said that the previous Gehlot government had worked against the interest of youth to serve his political and personal ambitions.
“His entire tenure of five years was replete with institutional corruption,” he said.
He said that agents were the pivot in every department and they were functioning as cancer to the system.
“No officer, staff or common person could reach out to the highest level. The person had to go through the middleman. There were few middlemen who had acquired the position higher even to the cabinet minister.
Sharpening his knife at the top management of RPSC, Soni said that the people were entrusted with recruitment of youth, weee having shady character.
“Today entire Rajasthan is ashamed due to their behaviour and action,” he said.
BL Soni, who was head of ACB for close to three years, said that the ACB had registered record number of cases during his tenure. However, there were around 600 cases which went abegging as the government didn't give prosecution sanction.
“There were instances when we had caught big fish but we could not take it to conclusion as the government didn't give us the prosecution sanction. When we started hitting hard on corrupt officers, the government dried up our resources and never provided full legal support,” BL Soni lamented.
BL Soni said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to deal with paper leak is doing good job.
“Whosoever it may be, how much ever big they may be, they will not be spared now,” BL Soni said.
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