Day after son’s arrest, Oppn guns for Ambala BJP chief

AMBALA: A day after the son of BJP’s Ambala unit president Jagmohan Lal Kumar was arrested with drugs, the opposition on Sunday demanded strict action in the case and raised questions over the state government’s claims of controlling the drug menace.

On Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader’s son, Amit Kumar, along with an accomplice, was arrested with 60gm heroin from near home minister Anil Vij’s residence. The duo was allegedly coming from Delhi at the time, the first information report stated. They were presented before the court on Sunday afternoon and sent to two-day police remand.

While Jagmohan Lal Kumar didn’t respond to calls and texts for the second consecutive day, the opposition intensified its attack on the saffron party.

Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said, “Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are competing against each other to violate the law. One of their leaders was recently found thrashing a government official with slippers and now another leader’s son has been arrested with drugs. They are giving assurance of a fair probe but they always cover up such cases.”

She further said that the Ambala unit chief should tender

his resignation on moral grounds as this is not the first time his son has been caught with drugs.

Amit Kumar had been caught by the Mohali crime investigation agency (CIA)-2 near Derrabassi with 30-gram heroin in March last year. He was allegedly selling drugs in the area.

Haryana Democratic Front leader Chitra Sarwara said, “All this is happening right under Haryana home minister Anil Vij’s nose. The fact that Amit Kumar was arrested from near Vij’s house raises a red flag.”

BJP’s state unit chief Subhash Barala refused to comment, saying that he was busy with the virtual rally and that the party will

decide on the next course of action later. “The issue has come to my notice, but we are busy with the virtual rally being held to mark one year of the BJP government at the centre. I’ll gather more details and see what has to be done,” Barala said.

Meanwhile, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Singh Chautala, who had demanded Kumar’s resignation when his son was arrested last year, is keeping mum this time. After repeated attempts to reach him through phone calls and messages, his personal assistant said Digvijay was busy in a meeting with his brother and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala.

› His son has been caught with drugs twice. He should resign on moral grounds.

KUMARI SELJA, Haryana Cong chief

› We were busy with the virtual rally. I’ll gather more details and see what has to be done.

SUBHASH BARALA, Haryana BJP chief