House passes resolution to condemn ED raid on Khaira

The resolution was moved by parliamentary affairs minister Brahm Mohindra and was unanimously passed

The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on rebel AAP member Sukhpal Singh Khaira during its ongoing budget session.

House passes resolution to condemn ED raid on Khaira

The resolution was moved by parliamentary affairs minister Brahm Mohindra and was unanimously passed. The resolution says, “the House expresses its concern on the current role of the central agencies such as CBI, ED, NIA etc, which have been set up to ensure transparency in public life but unfortunately, there have been apparent instances whereas these agencies have been used to harass innocent people including the farmers, politically elected representatives and even some government offices”.

It further said that ‘during the ongoing session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, a member of this House, (Khaira), has been compelled to remain absent from participating in the proceedings of the House and disabled him from discharging his constitutional obligations as an elected representative of his constituency due to the unwarranted and unconstitutional interference by the ED, which has been noticed and condemned by the august House, unanimously”.

“Therefore, the house strongly condemned such unwarranted and unconstitutional use of the central agencies and urges the Government of India to refrain from infringing upon the rights of the elected representatives of the people by subverting the due process of law and uphold the tenets of the democratic set up in the country,” the resolution read.

The resolution was supported by cabinet ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and former minister Navjot Sidhu.

Earlier, the issue was raised by rebel AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu during zero hour. He suggested that the state assembly should pass a resolution to condemn the ED action.