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Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay questions his govt's action against Majithia
Breaking ranks with his own party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Amritsar North, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, on Wednesday opposed the arrest of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia after a Vigilance Bureau raid on his residence. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Amritsar North, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, on Wednesday criticised the Bhagwant Mann government's action against Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. (HT file photo) Sharing a video of the VB raid in which Majithia's wife Ganieve Kaur, who is the SAD MLA from Majitha, is seen protesting the highhandedness of the bureau officials for barging into her house, Kunwar Vijay, who is a former IPS officer, said: 'When Majithia ji was in jail, the Bhagwant Mann-led government neither conducted any interrogation nor sought his remand and eventually allowed him bail.' 'The dignity of a family is shared by all — whether one is a politician, actor, rich or poor, friend or foe. Conducting a raid at someone's house early in the morning is against ethical principles. Almost every government has misused the police and vigilance agencies for its own benefit, but the outcome has never been significant,' Kunwar Vijay shared on Facebook. He said, 'I may have political disagreements or ideological differences with someone, but when it comes to principles, religion, and integrity — it becomes necessary to speak out. When Majithia sahib was in jail in a case registered during the Congress government, the Mann government did not seek any remand or conduct any questioning. Later, the state apparatus under Mann sahib even facilitated his bail.' The AAP MLA said, 'The Punjab and Haryana high court granted bail (to Majithia) on grounds that if the police don't require someone for interrogation, keeping them in custody is against the law. My point is that when he was in custody, the government enabled his bail, and now suddenly, notices are being issued to him, raids are being conducted at his house, and the dignity of his wife is being violated. It is important to mention here that I have an ideological disagreement with Majithia sahib — and that remains. But this is a matter of ethics and integrity.' Kunwar Vijay, who had headed the special investigation team (SIT) probing the post-sacrilege police firing incidents in Bargari that left two Sikh protesters dead in 2015, has been vocal against the AAP government and questioned it publicly in the past. He never misses an opportunity to take on chief minister Bhagwant Mann. Besides questioning the role of the AAP government in failing to deliver justice in the Bargari sacrilege incident, he recently questioned the arrest of Jalandhar AAP MLA from Jalandhar Central, Raman Arora, in a corruption case, citing that he was often seen hosting members of Mann's family. Prior to this, he was critical of the state government following the death of 27 villagers due to the consumption of spurious liquor in the Majitha sub division of Amritsar.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BKU protests in Bathinda, accused govt of suppressing their voice
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) staged a protest outside the Bathinda district administrative complex (DAC) against the Punjab government on Monday. Union president Joginder Singh Ugrahan said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is oppressing the rights of farmers as they are not being allowed to raise their voice in support of their issues. He said the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government is working for corporate houses by acquiring land in rural areas with inadequate compensation to farmers. Ugrahan alleged the state government is trying to forcibly evict the cultivators at Jeond village in Bathinda to benefit the landowners.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP seeks CBI probe into Majitha hooch tragedy; submits memorandum to governor Chand Kataria
Chandigarh: Blaming chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt in Punjab for the Majitha hooch tragedy , a delegation of the Punjab BJP on Monday sought a time-bound CBI probe into the deaths caused by the spurious liquor. The delegation led by state BJP president Sunil Jakhar also submitted a memorandum to the governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, in this regard. The delegation also urged Kataria to order a probe into the "links of the AAP's Punjab leadership with the liquor mafia running amok in the state". They also sought that the ED (Directorate of Enforcement) must be asked to undertake a thorough probe to expose this nexus. In the memorandum to the governor, the Punjab BJP also sought a probe into "the quotas distributed under the liquor policy introduced by the AAP in Punjab 2022 on the lines of the Delhi excise policy to ascertain who got the illegal benefits and to what extent". The memorandum stated that stock registers must be inspected to find out the truth of the liquor policy. The BJP demanded that the quantum of foreign liquor quota permitted and lifted by the liquor contractors of Punjab each year from July 2022 should also be probed. The memorandum read: "During the CBI investigation into the Delhi excise policy, raids were conducted in Punjab too. The ongoing CBI enquiry must be sped up to conclude so that the role of Punjab AAP leaders could also be brought before the public and the guilty be brought to justice. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The NCB must also be roped in to ascertain illegal proceeds. The ambit of this CBI enquiry must be widened to include the Amritsar hooch tragedy. " The saffron party sought to know under which official post and capacity the AAP's Delhi-based leaders had been allowed official houses in Chandigarh. Calling it a "constitutional transgression", the BJP also called for a probe about their "presence in official govt meetings". Also seeking investigation into the "mysterious disappearance of Harpreet Singh alias Harry, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in FIR No. 120, under Sections 302 and 120-B of the IPC, dated 12/12/15 at police station Bahavwala along with a liquor contractor", the BJP memorandum read: "Harry has been booked in another FIR No. 116/23 under the NDPS Act at police station Nathana, Bathinda, for a huge recovery of heroin smuggled via Pakistan with the help of ISI. Harry has since then mysteriously disappeared after getting bail for his hernia operation." The Punjab BJP also sought a probe into "the meteoric rise in the properties of MLAs, ministers and their first relatives during the three-year regime of the AAP in Punjab". "The avoidable tragedy of mammoth human proportions, where 27 human lives perished, took place due to the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP regime's well-known intent to not only harbour elements of the liquor mafia but also to profit from their criminal misdeeds," read the memorandum, while referring to the Majitha hooch tragedy. It added: "Equally tragically, a similar incident happened in CM Bhagwant Mann's own district Sangrur in March 2024." The memorandum further read: "Aam Aadmi Party's nefarious legacy of colluding with the liquor mafia is well documented now with their top leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and co., having served prison terms on charges of receiving kickbacks from the liquor mafia to extend illegal benefits under the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy." "The instant tragedy ironically took place while the AAP govt under chief minister Bhagwant Mann aggressively proclaims from every political rooftop a victory against the menace of drug abuse," read the memorandum. It added: "Amidst the pall of gloom, the CM only a day before yesterday once again exhibited grave insensitivity and declared that 99% of Punjab villages are free of the drug menace. Maybe the present hooch tragedy forced the CM to stay short of that perfect 100% drug-free claim. Or maybe the CM himself and his govt do not count the spurious liquor menace as equally deadly as the abuse of drugs." The BJP delegation noted that those who lost their lives in the Majitha hooch tragedy were daily-wagers, and the victims reported symptoms consistent with methanol poisoning, including blurred vision and temporary blindness. "That this happened in a border district like Amritsar, that too during a juncture when our police were supposed to be on heightened vigil due to tension on the border, says a lot about police administration under this incompetent and rudderless regime in Punjab, as a result of the politicisation of the force which is being made to pander to the whims and fancies of AAP's leaders from Delhi," read the memorandum. MSID:: 121269027 413 |
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tarn Taran youth dies of suspected drug overdose
A 25-year-old man of a village in Tarn Taran district died reportedly of drug overdose on Sunday. The deceased hailed from Varana village in Khadoor Sahib subdivision of the district. He was found dead in nearby Naurangabad village, local residents said. A video has gone viral on social media in which his parents are seen crying after finding his body. The local police said the matter was being looked into. After the video went viral, political quarters cornered the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in the state. Sharing the video on X, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira wrote, 'While @ArvindKejriwal & @BhagwantMann are holding rallies and claiming Punjab a drug-free state bcoz of their so called War Against Drugs, people are dying daily of overdoses of drugs (sic).' Meanwhile, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, 'The chief minister reached out to those who died of spurious liquor. Will he also approach the grieving mother of that youth. Will she also get something from the government?'
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
A village declares itself drug-free, residents hail Mann, his campaign
FROM BEING notorious for drug abuse to being declared drug-free — the Langroaa village in Punjab's SBS Nagar has come a long way and the residents give the credit for the same to the 'Yudh Nashean Virudh' campaign launched by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government. During an interactive session with CM Singh Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jathedar Ranjeet Singh, a local resident, said the campaign has brought immense relief to the village — a change that words cannot fully capture. He credited the CM and the state government's persistent efforts for making the village completely drug-free. Calling it a step towards a Rangla Punjab, he expressed hope that Langroaa would now progress on all fronts. Vanshika Soni, another resident, said it was a moment of immense pride that the state government was restoring Punjab's lost glory. 'The village, once a hotspot for drugs, is now known for sports. This transformation is thanks to the government's concerted efforts,' she said. She also thanked Mann for the bulldozer campaign against drugs and drug peddlers. Master Mohan Lal said Langroaa had battled drug abuse for six decades, but that changed with the promotion of sports and strong government support. 'Not even an ounce of drugs is now found here,' he said, adding that vigilant policing on the government's directions had played a key role in the turnaround. Another resident, Mohan Singh, said Langroaa had long suffered the curse of drugs, but state intervention had helped the village break free. 'We will extend full support and cooperation to the government in this war on drugs. This has become a people's movement, and we will leave no stone unturned,' he said. Yuvraj Singh, a school student, also thanked the Chief Minister for 'judiciously using the broom' — the symbol of AAP — to sweep away the drug menace from the village. 'The younger generation is fully behind the government in this war,' he said. Earlier, Sarpanch Gurdev Singh welcomed the dignitaries and described the campaign as a decisive battle. 'Langroaa was once among the worst-affected villages in the state, but today, with the proactive support of the government, it stands drug-free. This campaign is not just lip service — it reflects the government's commitment on the ground,' he said. On the occasion, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, Lok Sabha MP Malwinder Singh Kang, MLA Santosh Kataria, and others were also present.
