Chandigarh: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal today said SAD-BJP government has never indulged in political vendetta after the name of Congress MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring cropped up in an alleged drug racket.
During the Zero Hour in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Leader of Opposition and CLP leader Sunil Jakhar raised the issue of the Congress MLA`s name being dragged into a drug racket in Mansa, which was reported by a section of media.
Jakhar accused the state government of muzzling the voice of opposition party by deliberately dragging the name of Congress MLA from Gidderbaha in a drug racket and also demanded a CBI or judicial probe in this case.
He demanded strict action against SSP Mansa for revealing Congress MLA`s name to the media.
A section of media reported that an alleged drug peddler identified as Gurlal Singh had claimed before the police that he had funded Raja for his campaign in 2012 Assembly polls.
Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha on the issue of alleged involvement of Raja, Badal said he has directed the DGP Punjab to give him the exact facts in the case so that appropriate action could be taken.
He assured the House that the law would take its own course and the innocent, irrespective of their political affiliations, need not worry as no action would be taken against him.
"We have never indulged in political vendetta. If we have to indulge in political vendetta then we would not have waited for 7 years," Sukhbir claimed adding, "we never followed such policy."
Referring to the MLA in question he said, "he should not worry if he is not guilty". He urged the leaders of all the parties not to play politics on an issue like drugs, as it not only defamed the person concerned but also the State which had launched a crusade against drugs.
In the House, Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, said that a solution should be found on how to ensure that an accused in a drug smuggling case did not blatantly name any politician.
Majithia, who was named by alleged drug lord Jagdish Singh Bhola, said that he hoped that at least now the Opposition would realise his pain, when his name was being dragged in the drug controversy.
"I am the biggest sufferer of this (when any accused names a politician). And even after being exonerated by a double bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, you (Opposition) have been naming me as an accused. None of the five central government agencies have found any evidence to support these allegations," he said.
Raja said it was the worst time he was facing in his life. "I do not want clean chit. I want a CBI probe should be ordered to find out the truth...I will not live if I am found guilty (Main is jiwan ton mukti ley lawanga)," he said.
Appreciating the role of Punjab Police in firmly dealing with drug peddlers, Badal said "we have embarked upon a strategy to nab the base source of drugs as Punjab was not a producer but was being used as a transit route by drug suppliers."
He said Punjab police has not only performed its duty in checking the smuggling of drugs from within the State but also acted swiftly to keep a check on the supply of drugs from across the border.
Informing the house about the increase in conviction rate in drug cases, Badal said in 2002 it was only 47 per cent which had risen to 73 per cent in 2012, 80.5 per cent in 2013 and 81.2 per cent in 2014.
Later, while talking to media persons, leader of Opposition, Sunil Jakhar and congress MLAs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and other MLAs, stood by Raja and said that independent inquiry be conducted in the case against him and called it a conspiracy by the government to silence the voice of Opposition.
Since he was vocal against the government policies and the involvement of politicians in illicit drug trade, he has been targeted, alleged Jakhar.
