Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday demanded immediate dismissal of Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and registration of a case against him for diversion of five crore buprenorphine tablets, amount about Rs 200 crore, which are used to treat narcotic addiction to private centres.
Raising the issue during the zero hour, SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia pointed that buprenorphin tablets worth Rs 200 crore have gone missing from the de-addiction centres, and the Minister is the central of the scam who is “shielding the culprits”.
In response, Sidhu claimed that it was he who get the inquiry conducted and exposed that the tablets have gone missing, and there was no role of the Minister or the government.
As Sidhu accused Majithia of being a drug lord, all SAD-BJP MLAs stormed the well of the House sloganeering.
Majithia said that the Enforcement Directorate had initiated an inquiry into the incident. Reacting, Sidhu raised the issue of the ED inquiry into Majithia’s alleged links with drug dealers asking the Speaker to reopen all.
Majithia requested the Chief Minister, who was not present in the House at that time, to mark an inquiry into the scam. “Principal Secretary has recommended the inquiry…cases should be registered,” he said, following which the SAD-BJP MLAs staged a walkout, demanding Sidhu’s resignation.