SAD demands judicial probe into ‘political shelter’ to Ansari

SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema welcomed the Supreme Court judgment which has directed that Ansari be transferred to UP

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday demanded a judicial inquiry into what it termed “a criminal conspiracy as part of which political shelter was given by the Punjab government to Uttar Pradesh gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari by keeping him as a state guest” in the Rupnagar jail for two years.

Akali leader Daljit Singh Cheema said the Punjab government answer as to what was its motive to harbour a hardened criminal in its jail and why it went to the extent of spending a large amounts of money for hiring top lawyers to oppose Ansari’s transfer (HT photo)

Welcoming the Supreme Court judgment which has directed that Ansari be transferred to UP to answer for his crimes there, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said the verdict had brought down Punjab’s image.

“An impression has gone out that the Congress government in Punjab can stoop to any level to extend protection to a criminal. It must answer as to what was its motive to harbour a hardened criminal in its jail and why it went to the extent of spending a large amounts of money for hiring top lawyers to oppose Ansari’s transfer,” said the SAD leader. It’s a slap on Capt govt: BJP

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday said the SC order to shift Ansari is a “slap” on the face of the Amarinder Singh government.

In a statement, Chugh said it is a moral victory for the law enforcement agencies in the face of blatant patronage granted by the Amarinder government to a criminal who is accused in the murder case.

Chugh alleged it was because of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi that Amarinder was not allowing Ansari to be shifted to UP.