Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday accused the Punjab Police of failing to implement Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s orders to clamp down on goonda tax “which was on the increase with even the Indian Air Force (IAF) authorities complaining of this”.
“Only an inquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court could pin down the real culprits and lead to their arrest,” said the former Minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal.
He said that the SAD had demanded arrest of all those involved in collection of goonda tax and “Jojo Service Tax (JST)” within 24 hours but no action had been taken in this matter since the last three days.
“It seems Capt Amarinder’s writ does not run in Bathinda parliamentary constituency in which Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal alone calls the shots. Manpreet apparently is not giving a free hand to the police authorities to question and take action against his brother-in-law Jaijeet Singh Johal who is being accused of collecting protection money,” alleged Grewal.
Also condemning Manpreet of trying to play the victim card by stating that SAD was making allegations against his family members, Grewal said: “We have not made these allegations. It is the people as well as transporters and Bathinda refinery management which is stating this. If Manpreet Badal has nothing to hide, he should not stop the police from doing its job.”
Grewal said that it was condemnable that now even the Armed Forces were suffering from goonda tax. “Contractors supplying sand and gravel to the Bhisiana Air Force Station in Bathinda had also complained to the IAF authorities as well as the district police against extortion from all trucks entering the air force station...It is strange that the State police have still not acted on this complaint despite its serious nature,” he added.
He said that the Congress Government’s inability to arrest those behind the extortion racket had harmed the image of Punjab and would result in new investors shunning the State.