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Assembly session: Opposition slams Haryana government on liquor smuggling probe
Speaking during a calling attention motion on smuggling of liquor from warehouses in Kharkhauda, Fatehabad and Samalkha, former leader of opposition Abhay Chautala questioned how the liquor freely flowed in villages and towns during the lockdown period.
Opposition MLAs in Haryana assembly on Friday slammed the state government for a “half-hearted” inquiry in the instances of pilferage of liquor from warehouses during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Speaking during a calling attention motion on smuggling of liquor from warehouses in Kharkhauda, Fatehabad and Samalkha, former leader of opposition Abhay Chautala questioned how the liquor freely flowed in villages and towns during the lockdown period. The calling attention notice was submitted by 10 MLAs.
“When no vehicle was allowed to ply and interstate borders were sealed, how could the liquor consignments have moved without the connivance of police and excise officials,” Abhay said.
The INLD MLA said the intention of the government was never to firmly probe the matter. He said the SET had no powers to summon officials and record. “Home minister Anil Vij wanted Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) powers for the SET. However, instead of taking a decision on the matter, the chief minister referred the matter to the advocate general. The advocate general will write whatever the CM wanted,” he said, while demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter.
Supporting Abhay Singh, Congress MLA from Tosham Kiran Choudhary said she sympathises with home minister Anil Vij and that there were glaring violations in the entire episode. “The excise and taxation commissioner didn’t issue written instructions for closure of liquor vends during the lockdown. Also, he stalled the visit of the SET to a distillery. This clearly shows that it was well planned,” she said, adding that action should be taken against the officials and distilleries.
Congress MLA Shamsher Singh Gogi said the Crime Investigation Department (CID), the intelligence arm of the state police, keeps track of the movement of MLAs but failed to report to the CM about the unabashed movement of illegal liquor. “The excise officials refused to provide the records to SET. Now, a probe is being done by the vigilance bureau which will also turn out to be inconclusive,” Gogi said.
Training his guns at Vij, Congress MLA Kuldeep Vats said Vij likes to call himself Gabbar. “But what kind of a Gabbar are you? Your efforts to bring culprits to book have not borne any results,” Vats said.
Vij said the arrest of the chairman of NV distilleries Ashok Jain showed how serious the state government was about liquor smuggling. “Let me clarify. I’m not Gabbar but Anil Vij. And whatever matter I take up, I take it to a conclusion,” he said. Vij said on basis of the SET report, he has recommended disciplinary action against an IAS and IPS officer.
