Punjab minister's resignation ploy to protect Majithia: Cong

The opposition Congress in Punjab has termed the resignation of Cabinet Minister for Jails, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Sardar Sarwan Singh Phillaur a farce, drama and a ploy to protect and shield the actual culprit, cabinet minister Bikram Majithia, accused of involvement in a drug trafficking racket.

Earlier, the minister submitted his resignation from the council of ministers "on moral grounds", following "some adverse, false and misleading reports in a section of media".

Sukhpal Khaira, an ex-MLA of the Congress, alleged that drug lord Jagdish Bhola had directly named Bikram Majithia as the kingpin of drug trafficking in Punjab before a large section of media in Mohali.

Sukhbir Badal, deputy chief minister-cum-home minister, and Sumedh Singh Saini, DGP Punjab, had given a clean chit to Bikram Majithia within hours, without any appropriate investigation. Bikram Majithia is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Badal.

He added that Majithia may have escaped legal scrutiny of his deep involvement in the drug racket but it is a fact that he has been severely punished in the court of people. One of the major reasons for the defeat of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitely from Amritsar was the great anguish, resentment and anger against Majithia in the Majha area.

He added that if Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is genuinely serious in upholding ethics and moral standards in politics, then he must ask Anil Joshi, Sikander Singh Malooka and Gulzar Sngh Ranike to resign, as they are facing serious criminal and corruption charges.

Meanwhile, two Akali Dal ministers, namely, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Jathedar Tota Singh, have already been awarded five years and one year of rigorous imprisonment respectively by the courts.

Keeping in view the seriousness of drug abuse in Punjab, Congress demanded the immediate dismissal of Majithia from the Cabinet and the registration of a criminal case against him.