Hindustan Times (East UP)

FIR not enough, will not rest till Majithia is arrested: Sidhu

- Letters@hindustant­imes.com

BATALA: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday said he will not rest till senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who has been booked under the NDPS Act, is arrested.

Just registerin­g an FIR against Majithia is not enough, he said, addressing a public meeting at Batala in Gurdaspur.

Taking a jibe at the senior Akali leader, Sidhu dared him to come out and face the law.

“Where are you Bikram Majithia,” he asked, adding, “If you have guts, be at home. Are you scared?”In his address, the state Congress chief batted for his ‘Punjab model’ of governance and promised to provide minimum support price on pulses and oilseeds if his party returns to power in the state.

Sidhu also told the gathering that it was just he who fought against the sand mafia for five years. Sharpening his attack against Majithia, he said, “Nothing will happen with the FIR. Unless he (Majithia) is arrested, Sidhu will not rest.”Majithia has been booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotrop­ic Substances Act on the basis of a 2018 status report of a probe into the drug racket in the state. The report was filed by Anti-Drug Special Task Force (STF) chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2018.

A Mohali court has even rejected Majithia’s anticipato­ry bail plea. A lookout circular, which prevents a person from leaving the country, has also been issued against the former Punjab minister.

Sidhu also appeared to take on his own party’s government, asking the gathering whether they are getting cable TV connection at Rs 100 per month.

“There may be many announceme­nts. Are you getting cable at ₹100? Are you getting sand free of charge, its (sand) price is ₹3,700-4,400 (trolley)…,” he said. “This is why I am telling you it will not work with mere talks. It will come with a policy and budgetary allocation… it won’t work with ‘jugaad’,” the Congress leader said.

Last month, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had announced that the charges for cable TV connection had been fixed at Rs 100 a month.

Batting for his ‘Punjab model’ of governance, Sidhu said if it gets clearance from the party leadership, a sand trolley will be available at just ₹1,000.

He said this time, either he will stay or the sand and liquor mafia. “Punjab’s land is being looted even today, and the state is being mortgaged,” he alleged.

Stating that no rival political party has given any roadmap for the farming sector, Sidhu promised minimum support price for oilseeds and pulses if his party returns to power.

 ?? ?? Navjot Singh Sidhu
Navjot Singh Sidhu

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