BJP demands Punjab minister's resignation, impartial probe over allegations of sexual misconduct

The BJP on Sunday demanded immediate resignation of Punjab minister Lal Chand Kataruchak and an impartial probe into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

This came after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), following a letter sent to it by the victim, issued a notice to the Punjab government on Friday, asking it to submit a report on the allegations against Kataruchak. The victim has also accused the minister of threatening him and his family.

#WATCH | National Commission of Schedule Caste has issued a notice to the Punjab govt and DGP against state minister Lal Chand Kataruchak for sexually exploiting a young boy from the SC community. The victim came on camera and said that he has been subjected to sexual misconduct… pic.twitter.com/3PNNnxu8SS

— ANI (@ANI)

Speaking at a press conference here, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "This is a terrifying story of sexual exploitation, sexual predatory behaviour, sexual grooming, debauchery and most of all, moral turpitude and moral degradation to the lowest levels." Kataruchak has exploited a "Dalit boy", Poonawalla charged, citing the allegations levelled by the victim against the minister.

"We demand immediate resignation of the minister and an impartial probe in which the state government has no role," he added.

Poonawalla said Kataruchak is a "heavyweight" minister in the Punjab government and has "a very close relation" with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal.

"So long as Kataruchak is a minister in the Punjab government, there cannot be an impartial probe into allegations against him," he said, claiming that the victim's life is in danger.

Kataruchak had allegedly approached the victim "by sending him a friend request on Facebook in 2013-14 and when he accepted it, Kataruchak allegedly started making advances", the NSCN had said on Friday, quoting from the victim's letter.

"Since he was an influential person, he had promised me a government job due to which I remained mum. I was too young at that time to understand anything. But, his sexual excesses continued till 2021. However, he met me for the last time on Diwali in 2021 and he neither provided me with a job nor he met me after that," the victim claimed.

"I am now on the run and submitting the complaint in Delhi as the minister is threatening to harm me or my family," he alleged.

Recently, a video on the matter was handed over to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit by Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Purohit has forwarded the forensic report of Kataruchak's "objectionable" video to Chief Minister Mann, sources said on Saturday, adding that according to the report, the video was not morphed.

Taking cognisance of the victim's complaint, the NCSC has issued a notice to the Punjab government and asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to investigate the matter and submit an action taken report "immediately" through post or email. The commission also asked them to provide security to the victim.