Sidhu questions Punjab govt on ‘inaction’ in drug peddling cases

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday questioned his own government on the “inaction” against those involved in drug peddling.

In a statement, Sidhu said numerous tormented mothers, who had lost their children due to the drug menace spread across the state, and people were waiting for the report of the special task force (STF) on former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

In February 2018, the STF filed a status report in the Punjab and Haryana high court. Later, the government filed before the court an opinioncum-status report, and the matter is still in the court, he said.

The STF report on Majithia in the Rs 6,000-crore Bhola drug racket is likely to be opened by a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court on September 2.

Questioning the government’s “inaction”, Sidhu said that despite the court’s directions, nothing had done to extradite the 13 drug smugglers back to India, who peddled drugs into Punjab and smuggled drugs to some countries. “These drug smugglers operated under the cover of government security using VIP vehicles,” he alleged.

Sidhu said even a common man could sense why these drug smugglers had not been extradited for the past five years. “Because had they been brought to book, they would have spilled the beans and exposed the unholy nexus of drug peddlers and politicians,” he added.

He claimed that the money exchanged with Amritsarbased businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal and statements by Bhola and Majithia’s former election agent Maninder Singh, alias Bittu Aulakh, are proof of the former minister’s involvement in the case.

“What are we hiding? Why no action? Why no transparency? Why this delay?” Sidhu questioned.

PUNJAB CONG CHIEF SAYS PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR THE REPORT OF THE SPECIAL TASK FORCE (STF) ON FORMER AKALI MINISTER BIKRAM SINGH MAJITHIA