Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira rebuked the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government after the former was arrested on Thursday in an old drug-related case. Khaira, while talking to the media, said Bhagwant Mann had become ‘thirsty of blood’ and he would not be surprised if the letter even gets him ‘physically eliminated’. He referred to the action against him as a political vendetta. “This is pure vendetta politics. Bhagwant Mann is not able to tolerate Opposition in Punjab. On one hand, Mann and Kejriwal are pressurising our Delhi leadership to include them in the INDIA alliance while on the other hand, they want to marginalise Congress in Punjab,” he said.
The Congress MLA said action against him was taken in an old case and he was named in it after 8-9 years. He also said the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench ruled in his favour when he was summoned in the case back in 2017. “It’s a very serious NDPS case and action against me came after 8-9 years. Supreme Court has quashed the summoning of the Fazilka court in this case. Based on the SC verdict, we have reached the High Court which will hear the matter on October 6. ED picked up a similar FIR and I served 80 days in Patiala jail. I was given a detailed order of regular bail by the High Court. Will you attack again and again in one offence against your opponents?” Khaira said.
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A team of Punjab Police on Thursday raided Khaira’s Chandigarh residence under the NDPS Act in a 2015 case.
The police action came while the Congress leader was doing a Facebook live. The entire episode of him arguing with the cops was recorded and has been shared by the news agency ANI. In the video, Khaira could be seen reciting ‘Punjab Sarkaar Murdabaad’. He could also be seen arguing with the police team and asking them to show him the arrest warrant.
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira arrested by Punjab Police (Screengrab of video shared on ANI)
PPCC chief Amrinder Singh ‘Raja Warring’ reprimanded the AAP government calling the action against Khira an attempt to intimidate the opposition.
In view of the detention of Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the Punjab Congress delegation will meet Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit at 6 pm today.
This has to be mentioned that the action against Khaira came when the Opposition was mulling a unified fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Leaders of the Congress and AAP have taken part in many deliberations together to weave the INDIA alliance in an effective manner.