Rajasthan: BJP demands strict action against former MLA's PA arrested in espionage case

Jaipur, June 2 (IANS) Pokharan BJP MLA, Mahant Partap Puri, alleged on Monday that Shakur Khan Mangalia, the former private secretary of ex-Congress minister Saleh Mohammad, had political backing and travelled to Pakistan without official clearance.

He emphasised that not just Khan, but those who provided him political protection, will also be investigated thoroughly.

MLA Mahant Partap Puri stated that Shakur Khan was closely associated with Saleh Mohammad for a long time and had access to sensitive events, including military programmes held in the region.

"There is every possibility that confidential information may have been leaked," Partap Puri said.

"It is a matter of deep concern and regret that the minister was unaware of the activities of someone so closely associated with him," he said.

He further informed the media that he had brought the matter to the attention of Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and BJP state president Madan Rathore, and had also written to the party’s central leadership.

Both Sharma and Rathore, he said, have taken serious cognisance of the issue and assured appropriate action.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is also reportedly taking the matter very seriously. Pratappuri raised concerns about ongoing suspicious activities in border areas and stressed the need for monitoring institutions established by former public representatives in the name of religion and education.

He also recalled that in 2013, a history sheet had been opened on Saleh Mohammad’s father, Ghazi Khan, by the then SP Pankaj Choudhary, but the case was later shelved due to political pressure.

He questioned whether political influence in local development schemes had led to irregular land allocations and called for an investigation into the assets and foreign visits of regional public representatives.

Pratappuri also alleged that a pornographic CD case involving Saleh Mohammad had been suppressed due to political patronage.

“No one involved in matters concerning national security should be treated lightly,” he said.

“Following the arrest of Shakur Khan, locals are now questioning whether, had SP Pankaj Choudhary’s actions been supported back then, such security breaches could have been avoided,” he said.

--IANS

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