Hand over drugs case to CBI, Khaira tells Capt

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 20

Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira and other AAP MLAs today asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to hand over the probe into the Fazilka drugs case to an independent agency.

Khaira, who was accompanied by AAP and Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) legislators, met the CM in the Vidhan Sabha this afternoon. The MLAs had been called by the CM to hear their suggestions on the recovery of dues for Punjab’s river waters used by non-riparian states, but Khaira told mediapersons that he also discussed the drugs case with Capt Amarinder.

“I asked the CM that the investigation should go to an independent agency such as the CBI. He said he would look into the matter,” Khaira said after the meeting.

Khaira and other AAP MLAs had staged a dharna here last week, demanding that Punjab claim its royalty for river waters going to Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. These MLAs had threatened to hold the dharna again tomorrow, but they were called by the CM today for a dialogue. The MLAs demanded that the resolution passed by the Vidhan Sabha on November 16, 2016, for claiming royalty and arrears be implemented.

“No state gives free resources to non-riparian states. The CM agreed to have a meeting arranged between us and the officers,” said LIP MLA Simarjit Singh Bains, who had moved a private members’ bill on the issue in the Vidhan Sabha last year. The MLAs said they would soon launch a signature campaign in this regard.

SAD-BJP leaders to meet Guv tomorrow

Ropar: Leaders of the Akali Dal and the BJP, led by former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, have decided to meet the Governor on Wednesday seeking Khaira’s removal. SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema while talking to mediapersons at Anandpur Sahib said on Monday that it was unfortunate that Khaira had not resigned from the Assembly even after he was summoned by a court as an accused in a drug case. He said a delegation of SAD-BJP leaders, led by Sukhbir, would meet Governor VP Singh Badnore seeking Khaira’s removal on Wednesday. tns