Badal rules out Majithia's resignation

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Monday said there was no question of Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majitha resigning over his alleged involvement in a drug racket.

"I have never demanded resignation from anybody," Badal said when journalists wanted to know if Majitha would be asked to step down till the investigation into the charges against him got over.

Badal's comments came a day after his Akali Dal's ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, joined forces with the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to demand that Majitha quit as minister.

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Majithia to appear before it in Jalandhar Dec 26 in connection with the case.

Majithia did not attend the assembly session Tuesday. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was also absent.

Chief Minister Badal met the media after attending a meeting of the ruling Akali-BJP alliance following the first sitting of the three-day winter session of the assembly.

He asserted that the Shiromani Akali Dal would reply during the winter session to all the issues raised by the opposition.

When it was pointed out that senior Akali Dal leader Sarwan Singh Phillaur had resigned in May after his son was named in a drug racket, Badal said: "Phillaur resigned on his own. I never asked him to resign."

Akali Dal general secretary Daljeet Singh Cheema added: "You cannot punish anybody merely on the basis of summons. There is no need for Majithia to resign. If something concrete comes up, then we will see."