Sukhbir, Akali senior leaders court arrest, say Congress trying to implicate Majithia

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) core committee members and party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal Saturday courted arrest to register their protest against what the Akali Dal called a “Congress conspiracy to implicate party leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a false drugs case”.

Akali leaders marched to the CM’s residence and courted arrest.

Speaking on the occasion, SAD president alleged that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Navjot Sidhu was “resorting to extra constitutional measures by directing the state government to register a false case against Bikram Majithia”.

“The CM and the home minister have not only agreed to this demand in order to divert attention from the failures of the Congress government but have also directed the DGP to register a false case. The SAD is very clear in this matter. All such persons will be prosecuted once the SAD-BSP alliance government is formed in the state. We will also establish a commission to probe these false cases, including those registered against Akali workers,” Sukhbir said.

He said: “The SAD would simultaneously continue to fight repression and acts of vendetta against senior party men and workers alike.”

Announcing that the senior party leadership had come to court arrest, Sukhbir said: “The Congress government has constantly politicised both the sensitive issue of sacrilege as well as the issue of drugs… Now again a conspiracy has been hatched to implicate Bikram Majithia in a false drugs case. We will expose this conspiracy also completely.”

Meanwhile, before proceeding to march towards the CM’s residence both Sukhbir and Bikram Majithia talked to contractual teacher Sohan Singh who has climbed atop a BSNL tower near the MLA flats. “They were apprised that the contractual teacher had climbed the tower in protest against the reduction in the salaries of contractual teachers besides the government’s failure to regularise their services,” said a spokesperson of Akali Dal. Sukhbir condemned the chief minister as well as the education minister for giving false assurances to contractual teachers which were not kept.”