Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday held a state level protest dharna against the rampant illegal mining in Punjab and attack on its Rupnagar MlA Amarjit Singh Sandoa. The dharna was attended by just one party MP Prof Sadhu Singh and 12 party MlAs out of total 18, even as the state party president and MP Bhagwant Mann was conspicuous by his absence.
The dharna was led by Bholath MlA and the leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Sukhpal Singh Khaira and the state co-president Dr Balbir Singh.
Khaira, addressing the gathering, minced no words to allege that illegal sand mining in Punjab was going on unabated with the consent of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
He held that Capt Amarinder was “directly responsible” for illegal mining and protecting sand mafia. “The district administration had given false report that no illegal mining was going on in Rupnagar district particularly in Harsa Bela, Baihara and Sohara mines near Anandpur Sahib. I would personally visit the sites to expose the lies,” he said.
Khaira said that District Administration was under pressure to cover up the illegal mining operation and save the main accused involved in the attack on AAP MlA.
Taking on the ruling regime over the issue of unabated sacrilege cases, Khaira said: “Capt Amarinder has the same policy on sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib which previous government of Akalis followed. Even after two years, there is no clue of real culprits behind sacrilege cases. Investigation is being hampered for political reasons.”
Khaira also said that the SAD and Congress had blamed AAP for Maur Mandi bomb blast and sacrilege cases. “It is a ploy to defame AAP and influence the election process,” he said while demanding a white paper on investigation of Maur blast and Bargari sacrilege cases.