In more trouble to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the rival political parties — SAD and the Congress — on Friday once again raised the pitch demanding his resignation from the esteemed post of the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
The demand was raised after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday dismissed Khaira’s petition challenging the trial court proceedings against him under NDPS Act.
While the state Congress president Sunil Jakhar sought Khaira’s resignation on moral ground, SAD president Sukhbir Badal demanding his “immediate arrest”.
At the same time, the two have also asked the AAP and its national convener Arvind Kejriwal to come clean on the issue. “Khaira has no moral right to stay clinged to his post of leader of opposition in legislative assembly,” said Jakhar while suggesting him to come forward to set high moral values in politics by resigning from his post after the high court rejected his application.
Jakhar, Gurdaspur MP, also challenged Kejriwal to clear his party’s stand on the issue. “Kejriwal is calling his ‘party with difference’. But now, it is right time to prove his words by shaking Khaira from reputed constitutional post,” he said.
He asked Kejriwal that when he would take decision regarding Khaira.
Demanding Khaira’s immediate arrest, SAD chief Sukhbir asked Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal to come clean and tell Punjabis how long they would shield a drug accused.
“It is for the first time that a leader of Opposition of a Vidhan Sabha or the Parliament had been indicted in a drug racket on the basis of compelling evidence,” he said while addressing a press conference.
“Now, the time has come for AAP to walk the talk. It has been projecting itself as a party with a difference. It has always talked about morality and ethics in polity as well as zero tolerance for drugs. However, it has not taken any action against Khaira till now. Even Kejriwal has maintained a stoic silence. If Kejriwal fails to take action against Khaira even after today’s developments, it will be surmised that he has also been compromised by the latter,” he said.
Giving details of today’s judgement following a revision petition filed by Kharia against an order of the Fazilka court which summoned him as an accused in a drug case, Sukhbir said that the same had been dismissed. “The summoning of Khaira under Section 319 Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc) has been upheld. He has been directed to appear before the Fazilka court and seek bail. No bail has been granted in the High Court,” he added.
Sukhbir said that the order today pointed out that Khaira and his PA and PSO had been named 32 times in the judgement in which all accused including Gurdev Singh, whom he had nominated as chairman of Market Committee Dhilwan had been awarded a maximum sentence of 20 years.
“The judgement had termed Khaira as the kingpin of the drug racket and asserted that inter-connectivity of all calls had been established beyond doubt. It has also been stated that the accused used to finance AAP leader’s elections with money and vehicles,” he said.
Stating that now when overwhelming evidence was available against Khaira on record, it was the onus of the Congress government to file a challan in the case, demanded Sukhbir adding that this was of utmost importance as the court had made it clear that no vendetta had been exercised against Khaira in the case.
Also taking on Khaira, Sukhbir said that he should not continue to try to mislead the people. “Khaira is still trying to befool people by stating that he had been given partial relief, when none has been given. He has also been harping since the last fortnight that everyone should wait for the High Court order. Now when the order has come, he has no defense left but is still trying to deceive people with false statements”.