Sukhpal Singh Khaira, photo courtesy of ANI
New Delhi: The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party are at loggerheads following Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira’s arrest for his alleged involvement in drug smuggling and money laundering.
A team of Punjab Police raided the residence of the Congress MLA early in the morning on Thursday, NDTV reported.
Khaira is facing charges over an old case registered in 2015 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Jalalabad, Fazilka.
The Bhagwant Mann administration chose not to go easy over the Congress leader, despite Mann’s ruling AAP being part of the INDIA bloc forged to fight the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress has not been happy over the emergence of AAP in Delhi and subsequently in Punjab as both the states used to be Congress’ bastions.
Now the arrest has further alienated both the parties with their leaders taking the turf war to the national level.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday vehemently responded to the arrest saying his party would not bear with injustice, adding that the unjust "don't survive for long".
Sukhpal Singh Khaira himself is strongly opposed to his party forging any tie-up with the Aam Aadmi Party.
Khaira went at the Bhagwant Mann government saying it is "thirsty for blood", and expressed concern that "I will not be surprised if he (Mr Mann) gets me physically eliminated."
However, Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said law is the same for everyone adding that there has emerged fresh evidence against the Congress leader.
The Congress national chief Kharge said in Chattisgarh ‘I will take its details...But whatever may be the case, if someone does injustice, they don't survive for long. If anyone does injustice to us, then we are not the ones who will tolerate it.’
The feud between the Congress and AAP is threatening to jeopardize the Opposition parties’ quest for a united front against the BJP.