Raising question over SAD leader Maninder Singh Aulakh’s visit to Pakistan in 2004, Punjab Congress on Monday demanded investigations into his links with Pakistan-based drug smugglers and terrorist groups.
“We have serious suspicion that Aulakh who has confessed to his involvement in the multi-million drug racket has links with Pakistan-based drug mafia and terrorist groups operating from Pakistan,” said the Congress MlAs including Kuljit Singh Nagra, Randeep Singh Nabha, Gurkirat Singh Kotli, and Balbir Singh Sidhu, in a joint statement.
They said that Punjab was worst effected by cross border terrorism and smuggling of drugs and involvement of SAD leaders in the whole murky business can not be ruled out. Aulakh is amongst the people arrested in Jagdish Bhola drug racket.
Congress leaders also expressed serious concern over the revelations regarding the involvement of NRIs, mostly members of Kabaddi clubs in Canada and European countries who also participate in World Kabaddi tournament organized by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal every year. They demanded to probe in case these NRIs had visited Pakistan during the past seven years after SAD-BJP Government came to power.
Maintaining that the issue was linked with national security, they said the issue would be brought to the Union Home Minister’s notice. Condemning the SAD’s alliance partner, BJP, for maintaining silence over the involvement of Akali leader in drug racket and his cross border activities, they said that BJP had the habit of blaming the Central Government for cross border terrorism. “But, now they are not ready to utter even a single word. It would have been better if the BJP demanded probe in cross border links of arrested SAD leader,” they said.