Alleging “total failure” of the State Government, police machinery and the alleged involvement of senior ministers and police officers of the SAD-BJP in the multi-crore drug racket, Punjab Congress on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Governor Shivraj Patil demanding imposition of President’s Rule in the state.
The demand of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) came after alleged drug-lord and the main accused in the case Jagdish Bhola named state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia as “kingpin”. PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa along with senior party leaders submitted the memorandum giving details of exposures made by the dismissed DSP turned drug smuggler Jagdish Bhola. Bajwa said that the Governor listened to party’s plea and assured that he would consider the points stated in the memorandum.
The memorandum, submitted to the Governor, sought President’s Rule citing “deteriorating and collapsed Rule of law” reaching a flash point and in the wake of “total failure of the Punjab Government and the State Police machinery”. Bajwa informed the Governor that the accused had made specific statement to the effect that senior Punjab Police officials and senior ministers of the State Government are involved in drug trafficking and there exists a nexus between State Police, Ministers and the drug peddlers.
“There is a complete breakdown of the state machinery as the caretakers of the State are themselves involved in perpetrating such heinous crimes. It is clear the State Police will not conduct the investigation in a transparent and clear manner,” he added. Elaborating that State Police will carry out investigation in a completely biased manner due to involvement of its own department and state ministers, Bajwa said: “Drug trafficking as a crime has national and international ramifications that would be best investigated by a central premier agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).”