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‘Vendetta politics’: Punjab Congress leaders meet Khaira in Nabha jail
The Punjab and Haryana high court on January 4 had granted bail to Khaira in a 2015 drugs case, but the Kapurthala police arrested him in a case of threatening and criminal intimidation on the same day. He was later sent to judicial custody on January 6 after expiry of one day’s police remand.
Punjab Congress’ affairs in-charge Devender Yadav met jailed Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in Nabha jail on Friday. He was accompanied by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.
After meeting Khaira, Yadav said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was indulging in vendetta politics.
“The police registered another FIR on the same day he (Sukhpal Singh Khaira) was granted bail by the court. This is highly condemnable as it is very dangerous for the democracy,” said Yadav adding that he had conveyed Khaira that the party would stand strong with him.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on January 4 had granted bail to Khaira in a 2015 drugs case, but the Kapurthala police arrested him in a case of threatening and criminal intimidation on the same day. He was later sent to judicial custody on January 6 after expiry of one day’s police remand.
When questioned about the Congress party being under any sort of pressure of alliance with AAP under INDIA bloc given the party not holding any protests against the arrest of Khaira unlike other Congress leaders in the past, Yadav said all senior party leaders, including the president and LoP had come in support of Khaira, and they would continue to fight against his arrest.
Warring reinforced the Congress’ unwavering support for Khaira, stating, “We stand united with Khaira throughout this ordeal and are committed to seeking justice. Despite evident abuses of law and order, we implore our leader to remain steadfast, as we will persist in our fight against this unjust treatment.”
As to the rift between PPPC president Warring and former state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Devender Yadav refused to comment and said he had already spoken about the issue.
Meanwhile, a former MLA, Kuljit Singh Nagra, who was accompanying the senior leaders while meeting Khaira in jail, said Navjot Sidhu should not make the party’s internal matters public. Clarifying on the alliance with AAP for general elections, Nagra said that Congress workers and leaders in the state had already opposed the alliance and conveyed to the party’s high command about AAP’s vendetta politics ever since they came to power in Punjab.
Kapurthala court reserves order on Khaira’s bail plea for Jan 15
The Kapurthala court on Friday reserved the order on the bail application of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira for January 15.
The district police submitted records pertaining to the case following which the orders were reserved.
Khaira was brought on a production warrant from the Nabha jail to Kapurthala court and was sent to one-day police custody.
A case under Sections 195A (threatening any person to give false evidence) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered against Khaira on the complaint of Ranjit Kaur, wife of Kashmir Singh, a resident of Dograwal and a witness in the drugs case.
Kashmir had recorded a statement against Khaira and other accused in 2015 NDPS and Arms Act case registered at Jalalabad police station of Fazilka district. On inquiring into the matter, a case was registered as the complainant apprehended danger to the life and liberty of his family members, the FIR stated.
