POLITICS
Congress to AAP & back — how ‘drugs case’ against Sukhpal Khaira took shape as he switched parties
- Admin
- Sep 29, 2023
Congress to AAP & back — how ‘drugs case’ against Sukhpal Khaira took shape as he switched parties
Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira was arrested Thursday in a case dating back to 2015. He was made an accused in the case in 2017.
Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira’s political choices appear to be inextricably linked with the progression of the drugs case that led to his arrest Thursday.
In 2015, Punjab was under the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and Khaira was a state Congress spokesman.
In 2015, Punjab was under the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and Khaira was a state Congress spokesman.
Khaira was made an accused in the case in 2017 — allegedly after his name came up as the matter was investigated further.
By then, the Congress was in office in the state, and Khaira had switched to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and was the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly.
Now that he has been arrested by the Punjab Police, he is in the Congress while the AAP is in power.
Khaira’s arrest from his residence in Chandigarh triggered a political slugfest between the Congress and the AAP, which are partners in the Opposition’s INDIA alliance.
While the Congress termed Khaira’s arrest “abuse of power and vengeance”, the AAP said he was made an accused in the case when the Captain Amarainder Singh-led Congress government was ruling Punjab.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said Khaira’s arrest was a “significant” development in the Bhagwant Mann government’s “war against drugs”.
The BJP also waded into the controversy, saying Khaira’s arrest amounted to “misuse of the Punjab Police”. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said if the police felt that Khaira had a role in the crime, attempts should have been made to summon him to join the investigation.
Khaira’s arrest comes seven months after the Supreme Court — citing procedural issues — set aside a lower court’s summons to him, issued in 2017.
In 2015, Punjab was under the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and Khaira was a state Congress spokesman.
In 2015, Punjab was under the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, and Khaira was a state Congress spokesman.
Khaira was made an accused in the case in 2017 — allegedly after his name came up as the matter was investigated further.
By then, the Congress was in office in the state, and Khaira had switched to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and was the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly.
Now that he has been arrested by the Punjab Police, he is in the Congress while the AAP is in power.
Khaira’s arrest from his residence in Chandigarh triggered a political slugfest between the Congress and the AAP, which are partners in the Opposition’s INDIA alliance.
While the Congress termed Khaira’s arrest “abuse of power and vengeance”, the AAP said he was made an accused in the case when the Captain Amarainder Singh-led Congress government was ruling Punjab.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said Khaira’s arrest was a “significant” development in the Bhagwant Mann government’s “war against drugs”.
The BJP also waded into the controversy, saying Khaira’s arrest amounted to “misuse of the Punjab Police”. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said if the police felt that Khaira had a role in the crime, attempts should have been made to summon him to join the investigation.
Khaira’s arrest comes seven months after the Supreme Court — citing procedural issues — set aside a lower court’s summons to him, issued in 2017.
