Dr Sidhu’s drug salvo: Sukhbir should quit on moral grounds, says Jakhar

Taking up chief parliamentary secretary (CPS) Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s statement in which she alleged that red beacon vehicles ferried drugs in Punjab, in all seriousness, Congress leader Sunil Jakhar asked deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to either sack Dr Sidhu for the statement if proven false or to quit as deputy CM if it was proven otherwise.

Talking to the media on Monday, Jakhar said if Dr Sidhu’s allegations were true, the deputy CM should resign on moral grounds. Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party leaders of being equal partners in perpetrating the drug problem in Punjab, the senior Congress leader said, “If Sidhu’s allegations are true, BJP leaders are also involved. BJP president Amit Shah had announced launch of an anti-drug campaign a few months back.”

He further said, “After this campaign was announced, the deputy chief minister had said he would move the Madhya Pradesh high court asking for a ban on the cultivation of poppy husk. After a few months he said he will take this issue to the Supreme Court. But he hasn’t done anything.”

Agreeing with Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla’s statement that ‘Sukhbir Badal is illinformed on the involvement of Border Security Force troops in drug peddling’, Jakhar said the Modi government’s own minister Kiren Rijiju had revealed in parliament on May 4 that out of 68 security personnel booked or apprehended for drug peddling, 60 were from the Punjab Police and four from the BSF, adding that this made it clear Punjab Police had more to do with the supply and trade of drugs.

Quoting Rijiju further, Jakhar said out of 60, seven were jail staff. “This suggests that there exists a drug racket run by convicted smugglers from inside aided and abetted by jail staff,” added Jakhar.

Jakhar also spoke about Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal’s fight against Aam Aadmi Party in the upcoming assembly elections. “Though the chief minister repeatedly says the bond between SAD and BJP is unbreakable, there is potential for divorce between the two parties.”

He said he had also advised BJP to part ways with SAD on the drug issue. He was accompanied by Congress state women wing’s president Mamata Dutta and district president (rural) Gurjit Singh Aujla.