Former chief minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh, on Tuesday, got a shot in the arm when vice-president of the National SC Commission and Congress MLA Raj Kumar Verka backed his stand of not shifting the drug nexus probe to any agency outside Punjab. Verka was addressing mediapersons here.
"We should have faith in the state police which had pulled the state out of militancy. At this stage of the probe, that too on the demand of a drug smuggler, the enquiry into the drug racket should not be given to any agency outside Punjab. The demand can be some delaying tactic of the leaders involved in the drug nexus," Verka said.
When asked about his stand against the party, he said, "He is not making this statement as the party's spokesperson but he, being an MLA and vice-chairman of the commission, has a view and wanted to share it publicly. I am neither supporting Captain nor going against Bajwa. My viewpoint is crystal clear. The police, whom former CM Beant Singh used to eliminate militancy, are competent enough to deal with the breaking of the drug nexus as well."
Verka also targeted the chief minister of Punjab for not showing his political willpower in the matter. "Everything was going smooth for every party till Bhola alleged the involvement of revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drug trade. After that, a lot of hue and cry started to be made to shift the probe to the CBI. No one from outside Punjab can do anything to curb the drug menace from the state. It is only we who have to fight collectively. The CM should have shown his political willpower by taking action against any political leader involved in the matter, but he failed to do so and gave clean chit to the minister, quickly."
{{/usCountry}}Verka also targeted the chief minister of Punjab for not showing his political willpower in the matter. "Everything was going smooth for every party till Bhola alleged the involvement of revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drug trade. After that, a lot of hue and cry started to be made to shift the probe to the CBI. No one from outside Punjab can do anything to curb the drug menace from the state. It is only we who have to fight collectively. The CM should have shown his political willpower by taking action against any political leader involved in the matter, but he failed to do so and gave clean chit to the minister, quickly."
{{/usCountry}}At another press conference, former PPCC secretary Ashok Gupta demanded a judicial probe in the matter. The demand of a CBI enquiry is just a delaying tactic. It would do nothing to expose the nexus as the CBI is already an overburdened agency."
Gupta also released a letter to the media, addressed to All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi seeking her intervention in resolving the Bajwa-Captain conflict.
"This will not help the Congress in the state by any means. We will definitely lose all the seats of the Lok Sabha in Punjab. Better the AICC depute an AICC representative to take care of party affairs in the state."
Meanwhile, the district Congress committee president Rajinder Beri, along with his supporters, burnt an effigy of the state minister Bikram Singh Majithia at the local BMC chowk for his involvement in the drug trade in the state.