With the Opposition parties mounting pressure, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday ruled out asking Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia to resign after the ED served summons on him in connection with the international drug racket case.
Asked whether he would ask Majithia to step down from his post till the probe is pending, Badal said, “I have never demanded resignation from anybody.” Talking to reporters outside the State Assembly here, the Chief Minister said SAD would reply to all issues to be raised by the Opposition in the Winter Session. Badal was responding to media queries after attending a meeting of the ruling SAD-BJP alliance after the first sitting of the three-day Winter Session.
Reminded that senior SAD leader Sarwan Singh Phillaur had resigned in May this year after his son’s name cropped up in the drug racket case, Badal said, “Phillaur resigned on his own. I never asked him to resign.”
ED has summoned Majithia to appear before it on December 26 in connection with alleged money laundering in the `6,000 crore drug racket case. Majithia was conspicuous by his absence during the first sitting of the Winter Session. Sukhbir too was not present.
Talking to reporters on the issue, Punjab Minister and BJP MlA Surjit Kumar Jyani said the law would take its own course. “law will take its own course. Neither Badal sahib (the CM) nor we could stop it,” he said.