Remove Khaira as leader of oppn, SAD-BJP tells guv

CHANDIGARH: A SAD-BJP delegation on Wednesday met Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore demanding an immediate removal of Aam Aadmi Party’s Sukhpal Khaira as leader of opposition since he is an accused in a transborder drug case with Pakistani links.

The delegation, led by Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal, submitted a memorandum to Badnore claiming Khaira was sullying the august chair. They also urged the governor to order the state government to implement the ₹90,000 crore loan waiver as promised, claiming that not even a single farmer was given a penny despite a notification.

The delegation members said the Congress government did not hike the state assured price (SAP) of sugarcane deliberately due to a conflict of interest as some of its ministers are running sugar mills. They demanded that the state government should hike the sugarcane price to at least ₹350 per quintal.

It urged Badnore to direct the government to take action against sand mining mafia being run by Congress legislators in Punjab, referring to the recent incident of thrashing of a mining department general manager in a police station when he tried to check illegal mining.

Sukhbir said Khaira was summoned as a drug accused by a Fazilka court in response to which he approached the Punjab and Haryana high court to get the order set aside but that did not happen.

They said Khaira’s personal security officer, who had been named as an abettor in the case, had been attached with Khaira’s brother-in-law Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh who was heading a commission probing incidents of sacrilege.

The delegation comprised MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, Ajit Singh Kohar, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, BJP’S Som Parkash, Bikram Singh Majithia, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Surjeet Singh Rakhra, Sohan Daljit Singh Cheema and NK Sharma among others.

A DELEGATION, LED BY SUKHBIR, SUBMITTED A MEMORANDUM TO BADNORE CLAIMING KHAIRA WAS SULLYING THE AUGUST CHAIR