E-Paper
Arvind Kejriwal clarifies AAP's motive to arrest Congress MLA Khaira; ‘fight is against drugs’
The AAP supremo ask why are people crtiticising Punjab CM after the arrest. He urged all parties to remove leaders involed in drug menace.
We are not against any leader or party, our fight is against drugs, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday clarified after tensions errupted following the arrest of Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a drugs-related case. Notably, both the parties are members of the Opposition coalition, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Tensions between AAP and Congress broke out after Khaira's arrest as well as over the contention related to seat sharing between them in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Also read: Drug trafficking case: Have proof of Khaira’s links with accused, says officer
Kejriwal asked why are people abusing Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann when “we are not against any leader. We are against the drug menace. drug menace has spoiled our youth.”
He further appealed all parties to throw out leaders those are involved in any kind of drug menace.
Khaira was arrested from his Chandigarh residence in connection with a 2015 drugs case. Nine people were booked in the case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Khaira's name cropped up during the investigation. He was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021 in connection with money laundering charge linked to the drugs case.
AAP came to power after the 2022 assembly election, defeating Congress which was ruling Punjab for five years.
Congress and AAP are in a seat-sharing battle in Punjab, contrary to the pact between them at the national level. Rift started to grow further after Congress asked AAP to bow out of the election over the seat-sharing in Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency.
