Akali leader Majithia booked in drugs case; Sidhu calls it 'first step'

Former Punjab minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia has been booked in a drugs case. The FIR against Majithia was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at Mohali on Monday.

Majithia is the brother-in-law of Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. He has been considered an influential figure in the party. The Congress and other outfits had repeatedly accused Majithia of having links to the drug mafia.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday welcomed the move and called it a “first step” against the drug mafia in the state.

Sidhu tweeted, “After 5.5 Years of fight against Corrupt System run by Badal Family & Captain (reference to former CM Amarinder Singh) and delay of 4 years without action taken on ED & STF Report against Majithia. Finally now, after pushing for credible officers in positions of power and influence first step has been taken !!”

Sidhu declared he had sought action over the matter four years ago. “An FIR has been registered in Punjab Police Crime Branch against the main culprits of Drug Trade on basis of February 2018 STF report, wherein i demanded this 4 years ago - It is a slap on the face of all those powerful who slept for years on issues at the heart of Punjab’s soul,” he tweeted.

He asserted he would continue the fight against the drug mafia. Sidhu wrote, “Justice will not be served until main culprits behind Drug Mafia are given exemplary punishment, this is merely a first step, Will fight till punishment is given which acts as deterrent for generations. We must choose honest & righteous & shun drug traffickers & their protectors.”

The Akali Dal had been claiming that the Charanjit Singh Channi government was seeking to frame Majithia.

Akali Dal patriarch and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal termed the case “political vendetta”. Parkash Badal said, “Congress government has changed 3 DGPs recently, exposing its political vendetta to frame senior Akali leaders in false cases. Government's duty is to serve people, but this government is busy with political revenge. We will keep raising our voices against injustice.”

Last week, Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged Chief Minister Channi, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Sidhu were “coercing” police officers to register false cases against him as well as Bikram Singh Majithia. Badal said attempts were being made “to implicate Bikram Majithia in a false case days before the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct”.