PabloLabarre at 11:11, 23 November 2024

2024-11-23T11:11:34Z

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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{No footnotes|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2024}}
'''Gurkirat Singh Kotli''' (born 15 October 1973) is an Indian politician and was Cabinet Minister of Industries & Commerce, Information Technology, Science & Technology in the Punjab Government inducted in the cabinet in 2021 September.

== Political career ==
Elected to the [[Punjab Legislative Assembly|Punjab Vidhan Sabha]] in 2012 from [[Khanna Assembly constituency|Khanna]] and again in 2017. Kotli is the Grandson of former Punjab [[List of chief ministers of Punjab (India)|Chief Minister]], late [[Beant Singh (politician)|Beant Singh]], started his political career in 1992 as a [[Indian Youth Congress|Youth Congress]] leader. An arts graduate from Government College, Sector-11, [[Chandigarh]], Kotli was tipped to contest polls for chief of Punjab Youth Congress in 2008, but couldn’t because of being overage by merely 2 or 3 months, which were eventually contested and won by his cousin (father’s brother’s son) [[Ravneet Singh Bittu]], who is now [[Lok Sabha]] [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha|MP]] from [[Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency|Ludhiana.]]{{fact|date=July 2024}}

== Family ==
He comes from the third generation of the [[Beant Singh (politician)|Beant Singh]] family which has been active in Punjab politics since 1969 when Beant Singh won as an Independent from [[Payal Assembly constituency|Payal]] of Ludhiana and became [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] for the first time. Gurkirat’s father, [[Tej Parkash Singh|Tej Parkash]], was three-time MLA and former Cabinet minister. Last he was the transport minister in Captain [[Amarinder Singh|Amarinder]]-led Punjab government from 2002-2007. Although his family’s ancestral village is Kotla Afghana in [[Payal, India|Payal]] constituency of [[Ludhiana]] from where Tej Parkash has been two-time MLA, Gurkirat contested his first Vidhan Sabha poll from Khanna constituency of Ludhiana after Payal was notified as ‘reserved’ constituency. He again won from Khanna in 2017.{{fact|date=July 2024}}

== Controversy ==
The 31 August 1994 abduction, molestation and illegal confinement case of French national Katia Darnand has come to haunt Gurkirat Kotli time and again in which the victim had named him as one of the main accused. Even as the court had acquitted all seven accused in 1999, including five of Gurkirat’s friends and two Punjab Police cops, Katia had returned to France alleging that she was getting threats because she had identified the main accused. She never returned to testify against culprits, eventually leading to their acquittal in 1999. The incident had allegedly happened in [[Mohali]]. The victim had alleged that she feared for her safety as Gurkirat was the grandson of then CM Beant Singh and the case was not properly pursued allegedly due to the political pressure.{{fact|date=July 2024}}

The case shot back to limelight in 2017 after the [[Shiromani Akali Dal]] (SAD) moved [[National Commission for Women]] (NCW) demanding re-investigation and retrial in the case and eventually a notice was issued to the government of Punjab and a reply was sought.

== References ==
[https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ludhiana/gurkirat-kotli-once-haunted-by-the-ghost-of-katia-molestation-case-beant-singhs-grandson-gets-cabinet-call-7534477/ Gurkirat Kotli: Once haunted by the ghost of Katia molestation case, Beant Singh’s grandson gets Cabinet call] [https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ludhiana/gurkirat-kotli-once-haunted-by-the-ghost-of-katia-molestation-case-beant-singhs-grandson-gets-cabinet-call-7534477/ Gurkirat Kotli: Once haunted by the ghost of Katia molestation case, Beant Singh’s grandson gets Cabinet call]

[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/aap-attacks-channi-on-induction-of-rana-kotli-and-ashu/articleshow/86593003.cms <nowiki>[2] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/aap-attacks-channi-on-induction-of-rana-kotli-and-ashu/articleshow/86593003.cms</nowiki>]

[3] [https://myneta.info/punjab2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=606 Gurkirat Singh(Indian National Congress(INC)):Constituency- KHANNA(LUDHIANA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate:]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotli, Gurkirat Singh}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Punjab, India MLAs 2012–2017]]
[[Category:Punjab, India MLAs 2017–2022]]

Gurkirat Singh Kotli - Revision history

PabloLabarre at 11:11, 23 November 2024