Ticket to Sherowalia proves Cong promoting mining mafia: Chugh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that the announcement of Hardev Singh Laadi Sherowalia as the Congress candidate for Shahkot bye-election has proved Congress’ commitment to promote mining mafia in Punjab.

“The collective decision of All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress Committee president Sunil Jakhar to field Laadi Sherowalia in the crucial bye-poll has exposed the Congress which had been shying away from admitting that it was patronizing the sand mafia in the state,” said BJP’s national secretary Tarun Chugh.

He said that the Congress, which had come into power with the claim to fight all the mafias including the mining mafia, has not only surrendered to it but was encouraging its own leaders to emerge as parallel mafia.

“Laadi, who deserves to be in jail for his role in illegal mining, is now preparing to step into Vidhan Sabha with the blessings of Rahul Gandhi, Capt Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar,” Chugh said adding that the Congress first ignored a sting putting a big question mark on the candidature of Laadi and was now all set to trash a FIR registered under the Mining Act.

Chugh, however, claimed that the Congress won't be able to fool the people of the state, and particularly the electorate of Shahkot. “The voters will give a crushing defeat to the Congress candidate and punish the party for fielding such a candidate,” he said.

He said that Rahul, who was talking of morality in Karnataka elections, was signing to allot ticket to big fish in illegal mining. He alleged that Capt Amarinder had used his influence in favour of Laadi Sherowalia just to please former minister Rana Gurjit Singh to strengthen the mining mafia in the state.

Commenting on the drama after the FIR, Chugh said that Mehatpur SHO had followed the instructions of Election Commission but the government was pressurizing him to cancel the FIR.