Akali Dal chief seeks judicial probe into Punjab liquor scam too

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Wednesday demanded a judicial probe into the Punjab “liquor scam” as well as the misuse of state resources to fund the Aam Aadmi Party’s election campaign in various states.

His demand came following the Delhi High Court rejecting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED.

The SAD President, who toured Nabha and Patiala (Rural) constituencies as part of the party’s Punjab Bachao Yatra, said: “It is now abundantly clear that Arvind Kejriwal resorted to gross acts of corruption. The Delhi High Court, while rejecting his plea challenging his arrest, has put it on record that material produced before the court suggested that Kejriwal had demanded kickbacks of Rs 100 crore, some of which were used to fund the campaign expenses for the 2022 Goa election.”

He said evidence in the form of statements of approvers as well as an AAP Goa legislator’s statement that he had been paid with the kickbacks had also been put on record.

Badal expressed surprise as to why no action had been taken in the Punjab liquor scam, which was perpetrated in the same manner as the Delhi scam with the same persons drafting the Punjab excise policy and even granting concessions to the same players.

“It seems Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has prostrated himself before Delhi to save his chair as there cannot be any other explanation for inaction in this case.”

Badal said, in return, the Chief Minister had refused to take action against Haryana police officials who had killed one youth and severely injured another during the ongoing farmer agitation.

“This is reason enough to reject all Delhi-based parties as well as those who do secret deals with the centre against the interest of Punjabis,” he added.

Badal also chided the AAP government for acting in frustration by alleging that a child had been forced to raise pro-SAD slogans. He said the fact of the matter was that every section of society, be it children, their parents or the elderly, was disillusioned with the AAP government.

“What the child said was the voice of his heart and the voice of Punjabis as they are fed up with the AAP rule and want to show the door to the corrupt and anti-Punjab party.”