Following the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Thursday by Punjab Police over his alleged connection with the 2015 drugs case, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla
slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and questioned what took the Arvind Kejriwal-led government so long to take action.

“The case is of 2015. AAP govt came into power in March 2022. Today we are in September 2023...What was taking AAP and its police and government so long to take action?” the BJP leader questioned while speaking to news agency ANI.

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Poonawalla also said that Khaira’s detention came after the leader of the opposition in Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday claimed that as many as 32 AAP MLAs were in touch with him as he appealed to the people not to vote for the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

The BJP leader also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that he should have undertaken an ‘INDI Jodo Yatra’.

“It seems that this development took place after Mr Bajwa spoke about 32 MLAs of AAP being in touch with him. After Congress said they will fight all seats in Punjab...I think Mr Rahul Gandhi should leave 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and go for 'INDI Jodo Yatra'..." Poonawalla said, as quoted by ANI.

Earlier, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the accused ‘must be summoned first’, alleging that the Punjab Police is being misused.

Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. (Image: Jagran File)

“I remember a statement by Arvind Kejriwal where he said, 'give me Police and see what I will be doing', so that he what is being done,” he said.

“If someone is accused of something, he must be summoned first and make him join the investigation and if he doesn't answer then arrest him...Punjab Police is being misused...action is being taken against opposition leaders because they are speaking against the govt," Sirsa further added.

ALSO READ: Sukhpal Khaira’s Arrest: Congress MLA Calls Action Against Him As ‘Vendetta Politics’, Says Punjab CM Unable To Tolerate Opposition

The Punjab Police on Thursday morning raided Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s Chandigarh residence and subsequently arrested him in connection with a 2015 case registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Punjab Congress leaders also criticised Khaira’s arrest and called it a ‘political vendetta’ and further demanded the police to come out with evidence against the MLA in the 2015 drugs case.