Punjab Government is not only under attack of the opposition parties in the State but also that of its own men over the shocking hooch tragedy that claimed over 100 lives. Several Congress legislators and parliamentarians have come out in open to put their own party’s government in dock over the illicit liquor trade allegedly going unabated in the state.
Latest in the attack are Rajya Sabha members— Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo — who on Monday met the Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore, joining the opposition’s chorus, seeking CBI and Enforcement Directorate probe into the hooch tragedy.
Mincing no words, both Bajwa and Dullo accused the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who also holds the Excise and Taxation portfolio, of failing to reign in on the illegal distillery rackets in the State.
The duo, who had also raised the issue of liquor mafia a few months back, claimed that the Excise Department and the Police turned a blind eye to the liquor mafia despite several warnings and requests made to the Chief Minister.
“They couldn’t avoid it and now cannot investigate it. It is beyond them…Central agencies need to take over. The Chief Minister was repeatedly warned about the liquor mafia, but the indifference to these warnings claimed so many lives. The families of the victims deserve justice for repeated administrative failures. If this is how he will run the state, then God have mercy on us,” said Bajwa.
Congress leaders urged the Governor to send a recommendation to the Centre to let the CBI as well as the ED investigate the production and distribution of illegal liquor in Punjab.
“We have written the letter to highlight the existence of the liquor mafia in Punjab to seek immediate action.
For several months now, there have been reports of loss to the public exchequer due to smuggling of liquor by licensed distilleries, functioning of illegal distilleries and production of spurious liquor in Punjab,” he added.
Bajwa added, “We have raised this issue as it shows a clear-cut failure of the administrative machinery in the State.”
Known Capt Amarinder’s detractors, Bajwa and Dullo pointed at the functioning of illegal distilleries in Punjab. “The first illegal distillery was found at Khanna, the second at Rajpura and the third at Ghanaur. Interestingly, Rajpura and Ghanaur are both part of Patiala which is the Chief Minister’s home district and the parliamentary constituency of his wife,” read the letter submitted by the Congress Rajya Sabha MPs.
Congress MPs, in their letter, claimed that the Chief Minister was “clearly unaware of what is going on in his own district. Excise and police officers are not aware of the same and both departments are headed by the Chief Minister himself. It needs to be pointed out that no fair investigation could ever be conducted by officers from the same departments”.
The functioning of illegal distilleries in the home district of the Chief Minister speaks volumes of lawlessness and administrative failure of the government, said Bajwa and Dullo, who have been the former presidents of the state Congress unit.
They said: “The CM claims to have acted against the liquor mafia over the last few months on basis of some FIRs registered all over the State. However, had the police and excise acted effectively, the manufacture and circulation of illegal liquor would have stopped and all the real culprits would be imprisoned.”
The two Congress leaders alleged that there has been blatant smuggling of liquor from Punjab to other states especially during the COVID lockdown period which has resulted in the massive loss of state revenue.
“The death of these persons (in the hooch tragedy), is not a mere accident but cold-blooded murder committed due to the greed of the mafia. Spurious liquor was being manufactured and sold all over the state. However, neither the Excise Department nor the Police Department were aware of the same,” said Bajwa.
“The CM heads the excise and the home department. Smuggling, functioning of illegal distilleries, production and circulation of spurious liquor cannot be done without the active connivance of officers of Excise and Taxation Department as well as Police Department,” said Bajwa.
Bajwa had already supported the opposition’s demand for an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge. “The the tragedy symbolized the growing bureaucratic-police-liquor mafia nexus in the State….Reports suggest that the main accused in the present spurious liquor case has been active in the region for nearly two decades. It would not have been possible if the State and its administrative officers were not involved,” Bajwa had tweeted.
Earlier, party’s Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu appreciated the quick action taken by the Chief Minister against the officers, while pointing out that “this nexus is not limited to a handful of officers”.
“The real roots (sic) of this problem are some political people involved in this illegal activity,” he tweeted.
Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa stressed that stricter action was required against the erring officers pointing that mere suspension is not enough.
Congress MLA from Gidderbaha, maintaining that we all, as a part of the government, are responsible for this tragedy and officers involved should be dismissed.