Shiromani Akali Dal leaders arrested outside Punjab CM Channi’s house

SAD core committee had announced that they would court arrest in front of the CM’s residence to protest the alleged conspiracy to implicate former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a false drugs case

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders, including party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, were arrested by Chandigarh Police on Saturday when they arrived to hold a demonstration in front of the official residence of Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Shiromani Akali Dal leaders, including party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, courting arrest outside the residence of chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi in Sector 2, Chandigarh , on Saturday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Senior leaders of the party were stopped outside Channi’s residence in Sector 2 and were taken to Sarangpur police station after their arrest.

On Friday, the SAD core committee members had announced they would court arrest in front of the CM’s residence to protest against the alleged conspiracy to implicate former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a false drugs case.

While being arrested, Sukhbir Singh Badal warned state government officials against becoming part of the conspiracy against the SAD leaders.

He claimed that the SAD leaders had definite information that the chief minister has ordered the state DGP to register a false case against Majithia. “This has been done after the chief minister held a meeting with Punjab Congress chief (Navjot Singh Sidhu) and home minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa,” he said. All core group members of the party accompanied Sukhbir in the demonstration.