Amid a dispute between the AAP party and the Congress in Punjab regarding Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s detention in a narcotics case, Arvind Kejriwal stated that his party is committed to the INDIA alliance, but no drug addict will be spared.
Kejriwal said at a press conference that they will not abandon the alliance with INDIA under any circumstances. The Punjab Police had recently arrested a Congress politician, although Kejriwal did not have details about the specific incident. However, he emphasized that their party is dedicated to fighting drug addiction and no one, regardless of their status, will be spared in this battle against drugs.
Khaira was detained at his Chandigarh residence in connection with an old case filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in 2015. The Punjab Congress criticized the Bhagwant Mann government for arresting Khaira, accusing it of political vendetta. Pratap Singh Bajwa, a senior Punjab Congress leader, condemned Mann’s actions and expressed his party’s support for Khaira.
Bajwa also mentioned their constitutional right to meet with Khaira as the opposition party. However, they were not allowed to meet him in police custody. Their intention was to show solidarity and support for Khaira.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, President of the Punjab Congress, called the arrest a wrongful act and claimed there was no evidence against Khaira. When they went to the police station where Khaira was being held, they were not allowed to meet him. The police informed them that there were orders from higher authorities.
In response to the opposition’s accusations, a senior Punjab AAP spokesperson stated that there is no proof to support the claims and that the state government has a zero-tolerance policy for drug smugglers. The spokesperson also mentioned that there is enough evidence against the Congress leader, with connections spanning from Pakistan to England.
The arrest of Sukhpal Khaira is likely to strain the relationship between the AAP and the Congress, who have formed an alliance at the national level. The Congress state unit in Punjab strongly opposes any alliance or seat-sharing deal with the AAP.
