Cong seeks transparent probe in drug racket: Jakhar

Congress today accused the Punjab government of "pressurising" the officers probing the multi crore synthetic drug racket in the state.
"We want fair investigation in the drug case...They are trying to influence the officers involved in the probe by putting pressure on them...Enforcement Directorte officers are put under pressure by the government," leader of opposition in Punjab assembly Sunil Jakhar told reporters here.
Questioning the "cleanchit" given to Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the case by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal while replying to Governor's address on Tuesday, Jakhar said "who is Badal to give cleanchit. This can be done by the court."

Referring to former minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur who stepped down after his son's name cropped up in the case, Jakhar said "it shows double standards of Badal as he sought resignation from Phillaur, but gave cleanchit to Majithia."
He asked why Phillaur had to step down when his son's name cropped up in the case. Majithia is brother in law of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and brother of union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Accepting speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal's decision not to allow privilege motion recently moved by Jakhar on drugs and Majithia's role into it, the leader of opposition alleged "Majithia had links with drug lords."

"Some among those so far caught in the multi crore synthetic drug racket case and subsequently questioned have levelled serious allegations against Majithia," he alleged.

"In my privilege motion I had mentioned facts... Majithia says he was summoned by ED not as an acccused, but as a witness. Badal is not ready to reply in the assembly whether Majithia was called by ED as witness or otherwise," he said.
"He (Badal) gave cleanchit to Majithia against whom serious allegations were levelled by some of those arrested in the case," he said adding the government was adamant not to face the drugs issue in the assembly.

Alleging Speaker's role as "partisan", he said "Atwal had thrown away the rule book" and alleged that the Speaker is "throttling the voice" of the opposition in the assembly.
Earlier, during the zero hour when Jakhar stood up to speak over the issue of drugs, the Speaker told him that he had rejected his and ruling benches privilege motions against each other on some issues.
However, an adamant Jakhar asked the Speaker why the debate on non officicial resolution on drugs was kept at the third number after non important issue like problem of stray dogs and cattles.
The Speaker told him that "the debate on non official resolutions are kept in the order after taking out a ballot of these as per assembly procedure".

Jakhar pleaded before the Speaker to change his priority and let there be a debate on drugs first. "Let government make a statement on the matter," he added.
Intervening into the matter, Majithia said that during the reply on Governor's address, Badal had satisfied both the opposition and treasury benches.
"You (Jakhar) have suddenly started raking up the issue again," he added.