A joint delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal–Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday urged Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore to dismiss the Congress government and recommend an inquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court or the CBI into the hooch tragedy that claimed over a 100 lives.
The delegation also demanded an Enforcement Directorate probe into the illicit liquor trade.
SAD president Sukhbir Badal and BJP State chief Ashwani Sharma said attempts were being made by the government to divert attention from the role of distilleries by conducting raids against bootleggers making country liquor despite knowing that it was denatured spirit procured from distilleries.
The leaders alleged that the illicit liquor trade had already caused a loss of ₹5,600 crore to the treasury.
A group of Ministers hit out at the Akalis and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing them of using the hooch tragedy to play with the sentiments of the people with an eye on the Assembly elections.
“The Opposition was so busy playing to the gallery that even the sufferings of the victims and their families seemed not to have affected them,” said Sukh Sarkaria, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Sunder Sham Arora and Bharat Bhushan in a joint statement.
Reacting to Mr. Badal’s demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister, the Ministers asked the SAD president how many times he had stepped down after the numerous deaths due to alleged illicit liquor, drugs, police atrocities etc during the ‘Badal’ rule.
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