Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday slammed Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and once again demanded a CBI or ED investigation in the recent hooch tragedy.
"CM Captain Amarinder Singh has Excise and Taxation, Home department and police under him. All fingers are being raised at excise department. If justice has to be given to 121 people who died in hooch tragedy then an investigation should be done by CBI or ED," Partap Singh Bajwa told news agency ANI.
He also said that mining, liquor, drugs and transport mafias were established under the rule of Badal's but are thriving under Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh's governance. "Mining, liquor, cable, drugs & transport mafias established under the rule of Badal's are thriving under Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh's governance. If future of Congress has to be saved then we need to change the leadership in the state," Partap Singh Bajwa said.
Punjab cabinet ministers on Thursday demanded immediate expulsion of Rajya Sabha MPs Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo from the Congress for their criticism of the state government over the recent hooch tragedy.
In a press statement, the ministers described the MPs' acts as "gross indiscipline" and said they have rendered themselves "useless" and of "no value" to the party. However, the two MPs remained defiant and issued a joint statement in response, saying not criticising the government even if it is working "against" the interest of the public is "against the principles of democracy".
"The contents of the press note released by the Government of Punjab today are an afterthought, added in 24 hours after the meeting had taken place," they claimed. The cabinet meeting had taken place on Wednesday.
The Punjab cabinet ministers in their statement said the two MPs need to be shunted out without any delay. The demand for action against the two Rajya Sabha members came two days after Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said he would write to party president Sonia Gandhi to seek "strict action" against their "brazen indiscipline". Bajwa and Dullo had targeted their own party's government over the liquor tragedy that claimed 113 lives recently.
(Inputs from Agencies)
