Senior Shiromani Akali Dal MLA and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia was taken into custody by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday following raids at his residence in Amritsar’s upscale Green Avenue area.
Confirming the action, Amritsar DCP (Investigation) RPS Sandhu said, “The raid was carried out by the Vigilance Department. Yes, he has been taken away.”
Reacting to the arrest, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated that no one is above the law. “Strict action will be taken against anyone found involved in drug-related activities. It was the previous governments that pushed Punjab’s youth into the trap of drugs,” he said.
"A big campaign, 'Yudh Nashe Ke Viruddh', is going on in Punjab. When the Akali Dal and the BJP were in power, when the Congress party was in power, these people sold drugs and pushed the youth of Punjab towards drugs. They worked to make the people of Punjab addicted to drugs. Our government is fighting against this. No person is above the law. Any person who was involved in the drug business, whether small or big, action will be taken against him", Cheema said.
SAD MLA and wife of Bikram Singh Majithia, Ganieve Kaur Majithia said 30 to 35 individuals entered their house on Wednesday morning without showing any warrant or document. Stating that the matter is yet to be investigated, she thanked all the SAD supporters who stood strong for Mathithia during the raids.
"Thirty to thirty-five people entered our house. They neither showed us any warrant nor any other document...They just stormed into our house and started checking our personal belongings. They did not speak with us," Kaur told mediapersons.
Arshdeep Singh Kler, SAD spokesperson and Majithia’s lawyer, said, "All of you know how the AAP government uses machinery against their political rivals. This morning, the residence of Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar was raided by a team of Vigilance Department. Majithia and his family were present there. Here in Sector 4 (Chandigarh), the residence of MLA Ganieve Kaur Majithia is located.”
"Chandigarh Police personnel, SSP Vigilance Mohali and 15 others are inside. They do not even have a search warrant for this property...SSP Vigilance says that FIR has already been registered. So, they can go anywhere...This clears the intentions of the Government of Bhagwant Mann. We will take the legal route," Kler said.
Earlier, Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the vigilance departments carried out raids at nine places in Amritsar and 25 places in Punjab, including SAD leader Majithia’s residence. Dhaliwal also targeted the previous Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government for not taking action against drug smugglers.
"Today, our police and vigilance raided nine places in Amritsar and 25 places in Punjab, including Bikram Singh Majithia. This drug issue started during the time of the Akali Dal and the BJP government. During their government, many drug smugglers were caught who gave statements against Bikram Singh Majithia, but they did not take any action. When Captain Amarinder Singh came, he said he would put the drug smugglers behind bars, but nothing happened", he said.
Punjab AAP President Aman Arora said, "Inquiry would have happened based on a complaint received by the Vigilance department. I can confidently say that the Punjab government does not work with a sense of vendetta or witch-hunting."
Also, Punjab AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, "Only the Punjab Government and Vigilance officials can provide details, but AAP has always followed a policy of zero tolerance against drugs or any other corruption. We are a party of 'kattar imandar' people."
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