The drugs issue, once again, echoed in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday with legislators of the ruling and the Opposition party engaging in a heated debate.
The issue was raised by the leader of Opposition, Sunil Jakhar, who during the Zero Hour accused ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of practicing ‘vendetta politics’ pointing towards allegations being made against Gidderbaha’s Congress legislator Amrinder Singh Raja Warring for his involvement in a drug scandal.
In his defence, Raja Warring stood up and alleged that he is suffering due to petty vendetta politics in the state. Warring went onto say that if proved guilty, he would choose to die.
A day before, SSP Mansa Bhupinder Singh Khattra had claimed that an alleged drug peddler Gurlal Singh has reportedly revealed to have funded Warring’s election campaign. The alleged drug peddler Gurlal Singh was arrested on Saturday from Sirsa in Haryana and the Mansa police had claimed to have found the legislator and his associates on Singh’s mobile contact list.
Putting on a brave face after the allegations, Warring, while speaking in the House, demanded that an inquiry by independent agency should be conducted into the matter as he has no faith in Punjab Police. “A judicial inquiry or an inquiry by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should be marked into the whole episode. I have no faith in Punjab Police, thus an independent agency should investigate the allegations leveled against me.”
Warring turned emotional and struggled to hold back his tears while speaking about the allegations, and said that he has not done anything wrong and the drug issue has now become a political weapon used by political parties to defame the leaders.
Gidderbaha MlA garnered the sympathy of Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who had also faced similar allegations of links with drug peddlers and giving political patronage to them.
Speaking during the Zero Hour, Majithia called himself a sufferer like Warring. The Minister asked the Opposition not to follow double standards and there should be unanimity on how such serious issue should be dealt with.
Majithia added that a serious issue like drugs in the state has been made a mockery by certain political leaders for their own political vested interests. Sympathizing with Gidderbaha MlA, the Minister expressed concern on how he was also mentally, emotionally and politically shattered when false allegations were leveled against him by a drug peddler Jagdish Singh Bhola.
Provoked over the comments of opposition, Majithia added that five central agencies had found nothing against him after thorough investigations and despite this, Congress leaders keep leveling false allegations against him. Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court had dismissed the case filed by Pradesh Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa and others in this regard, he added.
Referring to the allegations made against Warring, Jakhar had earlier said, “This is a classic case of Punjab Police lawlessness and high-handedness. The ruling party is practicing ‘vendetta politics’ and this incident is SAD’s attempt to hush up the voice of opposition party in Punjab. The Congress legislator also questioned the timings of the allegations.
Following the tirade against the ruling party, other Congress MlAs also stood up and questioned the working of Punjab Police alleging ‘political vendetta’ against them.
Reacting sharply to the Opposition’s comments, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the SAD- BJP Government does not believe in ‘vendetta politics’ and had never ever followed such a policy.
On the issue of alleged involvement of Congress Gidderbaha MlA in a drug trafficking racket, Sukhbir said that he has asked the State DGP to submit a report in this regard and an appropriate action will be taken soon.
Responding to Jakhar’s allegations on Punjab Police, Sukhbir said that the state police has not only performed its duty in checking the smuggling of drugs from within Punjab but also acted swiftly to keep a check on the supply of drugs from across the border which was supposed to be done by the central agencies.
Showering praise on Punjab Police for strictly dealing with drug peddlers, Badal informed the house that there is an increase in conviction rate in drug cases. In the year 2002, the conviction rate in drug cases was only 47 percent, which has risen to 81.2 percent in 2014. In the year 2012, the conviction rate was 73 percent and it was 80.5 percent in 2013.
The Deputy Chief Minister also urged the legislators of all the political parties not to play politics on issue like drugs. Sukhbir also assured the house that the law would take its own course and the innocent, irrespective of their political affiliations, need not worry as no action would be taken against them.