Bajwa questions Kejriwal’s 2017 MLA ticket to Khaira

Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s arrest has reignited political tensions in Punjab. Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of the Opposition, questioned AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday. “Why did Kejriwal offer Khaira an MLA ticket in 2017 if he believed Khaira was involved in drug trade?” he posed.

During a protest in Chandigarh, the Punjab Congress voiced its concerns against the AAP government, claiming that Khaira was implicated falsely. Bajwa further questioned Bhagwant Mann’s earlier stance, wherein Mann had called the case against Khaira politically motivated.

Bajwa also raised concerns about AIG Raj Jit Singh Hundal’s alleged involvement in drug trade, questioning the Punjab Police’s inability to capture him and insinuating potential shielding by higher authorities.

The Leader of the Opposition heavily criticised Punjab Police’s handling of Khaira’s arrest, accusing them of bias towards AAP. He emphasised that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) did not follow due process, alleging that Khaira’s arrest was unlawful.

Bajwa also hinted at potential conflict of interest, noting that DIG Swapan Sharma, under whom the SIT was formed, had previous associations with the case against Khaira. He suggested that promises of promotions were being made to officers like Sharma and SSP Manpreet Singh by the AAP government.