CHANDIGARH (Panjab): Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Thursday was detained by Punjab police in connection with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
In an early morning operation on Thursday, a team of Punjab Police reached Khaira’s residence and conducted a raid in connection with an old case registered in 2015 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Jalalabad, Fazilka.
Khaira was hosting a Facebook Live where he can be seeing arguing with police personnel as they raided his house this morning. A police official can be seen in the video telling Khaira that a SIT has been formed in an old drug smuggling case.
In the video, Khaira is also seen raising slogans of “Punjab Sarkar murdabad” as the police personnel detain him.
Sukhpal Khaira is an MLA from Bholath in Kapurthala of Punjab and Chairman of All India Kisan Congress.
Leader of the Congress party in the Punjab assembly and senior leader Partap Singh Bajwa questioned the detention of Khaira saying that the AAP government in Punjab had resorted to low level vendetta politics.
“The arrest of Senior Congress Leader and Bolath MLA @SukhpalKhaira is extremely deplorable. The @AAPPunjab
govt has stooped to an all-time low and resorted to vendetta politics. Sukhpal Singh Khaira has been outspoken and raised his voice against the wrongdoings and irregularities committed by the CM @BhagwantMann’s govt. The Punjab Congress under the ambit of law will leave no stone unturned to get him released” Partap Singh Bajwa said in a post on X.
In a show of support arch rivals of Congress in the state the Shiromani Akali Dal criticised the Punjab government for its high handed action.
In a post on X the Akali Dal said “Political differences aside- Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar condemns the arrest borne out of the witch hunt and political vendetta against Bholath MLA and a very respected @SukhpalKhaira Ji a fierce critic of @BhagwantMann and @AAPPunjab led @PunjabGovtIndia. What promised to be a ‘badlav’ is turning out to be a horror show.”
The arrest of Sukhpal Khaira is expected to further dent the relations of AAP and the Congress which have come together to form the INDIA alliance at the centre. The state unit of the Congress has opposed any tie-up or seat sharing arrangement with the AAP in Punjab. (ANI)