Punjab Cong holds protest over arrest of MLA Sukhpal Khaira

The Punjab Congress Tuesday held a protest here against the arrest of party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a 2015 drugs case and accused the AAP government of indulging in political vendetta.The protesters led by state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring had planned to take out a march towards the office of the Punjab Director General of Police.

The Punjab Congress Tuesday held a protest here against the arrest of party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a 2015 drugs case and accused the AAP government of indulging in “political vendetta”.

The protesters led by state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring had planned to take out a march towards the office of the Punjab Director General of Police. But they were not allowed to proceed by the Chandigarh police.

Khaira was arrested by the Punjab Police last week in connection with the 2015 drugs case from his Chandigarh residence.

Before the protest, Warring and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa held a meeting with party MLAs, district presidents and other leaders and expressed resentment over the arrest of Khaira, who is the chairman of All India Kissan Congress.

“When Sukhpal Khaira was in the Aam Aadmi Party, the very same leadership used to give him a clean chit in this case,'' Bajwa said. ''If Khaira was guilty then why did (AAP chief) Arvind Kejriwal, who now claims that no one involved in corruption will be spared, appoint him as the Leader of Opposition,” he asked. Khaira left the AAP in 2019 and joined the Congress in 2021.

Punjab Congress chief Warring slammed the AAP government for indulging in political vendetta by arresting Khaira in an eight-year old case, saying such “injustice” will not be tolerated.

In Patiala, Kejriwal on Monday said that they were not fighting against any party or a leader, but fighting against the scourge of drugs.

“Three-four days back, a very big person was caught who was facing an accusation of drug trafficking. All the parties are abusing CM Bhagwant Mann, asking him why he did it. I want to ask whether drug traffickers should be arrested or not,” Kejriwal had said.