Sukhbir Badal’s acts aimed at inciting violence, disturbing law and order with an intention to divert public attention from the complicity of Bikram Majitha and other Cabinet ministers in the Rs 6,000-crore drug scam, said State Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa .
CHANDIGARH – State Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa demanded imposition of the President’s rule in the state. The demand came following the Shiromani Akali Dal’s move to stage dharnas near the international border, seeking BSF action against drug smugglers.
In a statement, Bajwa said the President, being Commander-in-chief of the armed forces, should immediately dismiss the SAD-BJP alliance government in the state and impose the President’s rule under Article 356 of the Constitution. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal must be charged under Section 124 A of the IPC for making seditious statements, he said. Sukhbir’s acts aimed at inciting violence, disturbing law and order with an intention to divert public attention from the complicity of Bikram Majitha and other Cabinet ministers in the Rs 6,000-crore drug scam, he added.
He said the decision of the Deputy Chief Minister to hold dharnas would lead to public disorder and incite violence at the already tense Indo-Pak border, so it should be termed seditious.
He said it was unfortunate for the state that both the BJP and the SAD were indulging in confronting each other to take credit on the drugs issue. They were doing so at the cost of endangering the hard-won peace in the border state.
While Amit Shah has announced to begin the BJP’s nationwide anti-drug campaign from Amritsar on January 12, Sukhbir has announced dharnas against BSF jawans guarding the sensitive border. This was demoralising for paramilitary forces (the BSF) and it virtually accused them of complicity in drug trade. Such statements must be strongly deprecated and any attempt to malign the image of our armed forces or the paramilitary forces must be seen as an anti-national activity.
The SAD decision to hold dharnas was, in fact, a means to protest against the BJP-led Central Government, he said. Both these parties realised the gravity of the drug problem only after the issue was raised by the Congress, he claimed.
