Cannot refer to transporters as mafia: Sukhbir Badal to minister

Amritsar, December 14

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal today reacted sharply to the restrictions imposed by the state government on the private transport operators under an amendment to the Punjab Transport Scheme-2018.

On the new transport limitations, he said he was quite upset with the state Transport Minister, Laljit Singh Bhullar, for referring to the transporters as ‘mafia’.

“It is highly condemnable to tag the transporters as ‘mafia’, little realising that Punjabis had excelled in the transport sector all over the globe by the dint of their hard work,” he said.

Taking an exception to the minister’s statement allegedly against transport companies owned by the Badal family, he said “Our family has been in the transport sector since Independence. Never have we been accused of any illegal activity. Attempts to disrupt our transport were made by erstwhile Transport Minister Raja Warring too, but we got relief from the High Court. This time, we will serve a legal notice to Bhullar for implying that we were indulging in illegal activities.”

On the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, he said that it appeared as if the government was being run by gangsters and mentioned how he had visited many families affected by the recent spate of extortions and killings and been told that the police force was completely ineffective.

Never been accused of illegal activities

Our family has been in the transport sector since Independence. Never have we been accused of any illegal activity. We will serve a legal notice on Laljit Singh Bhullar for implying that we were involved in illegal activities. — Sukhbir Badal