Post Sukhpal Khaira's arrest, Punjab Congress leaders harden stance over tie-up with AAP

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, September 28

The arrest of Bholath Congress MLA and chairman of the All-India Kisan Congress has brought to the fore the division in the state unit over supporting AAP under the INDIA bloc and sent leaders into a tizzy, fearing arrests of their other leaders.

Six former Congress MLAs have been arrested by the Vigilance and another five leaders, including former CM Chararnjit Singh Channi and former minister Brahm Mohindra facing probe.

CM Bhagwant Mann had also dropped a hint of a probe against Amrinder Raja Warring into the state transport buses body fabrication case when the PPCC chief was the transport minister in previous Congress regime, though Warring has challenged the CM for a probe.

Former Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa said arresting an MLA for political extortion was highly reprehensible. “In democracy, there is freedom of speech. But the police are being used to intimidate the Opposition. The CM should leave politics of revenge and focus on Punjab issues,” said Randhawa.

PPCC chief Warring, who has been regularly maintaining that no discussion on seat sharing in Punjab has taken place and the party would go solo in the Lok Sabha poll, said it was a ploy by AAP to divert the attention from the real issues. “We will fight back and take Sukhpal Khaira’s case to its logical conclusion”, he said.

The state leadership has informed the party high command about the action against its Bholath MLA. “We had already alerted the command about the intent of AAP in Punjab,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, who has been strongly opposing any alliance with AAP, said Khaira is the chairman of the national wing of the Kisan Congress and arresting a sitting MLA speaks of the seriousness of the issue.

Cong leaders arrested so far

• Former ministers OP Soni, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sadhu Singh Dharmasot; and former MLAs Kikki Dhillon, Satkar Kaur and Joginder Pal
• Besides, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, former minister Brahm Mohindra and sitting MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra are facing Vigilance probe