A faceoff has begun between the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after Punjab police took Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira into custody in a 2015 drugs case on Thursday. State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the action and called it a"political vendetta" and said it is an attempt to "intimidate the opposition". This comes on the heels of an ongoing tussle between the Punjab unit of both parties who have not agreed to join hands for the opposition's I.N.D.I.A bloc.


"The recent arrest of Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira smacks of political vendetta, it is an attempt to intimidate the opposition and is a ploy of the AAP Punjab govt to distract from core issues," Warring said.






"I condemn this arrest. This is jungle raj...Congress President Kharge called me in the morning and asked us to fight for Khaira. His family has said that anything can happen to him," he added.


The Congress leader was taken into custody by Punjab police in connection with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.


Khaira's son Mehtab Singh Khaira claimed that his father had exposed Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and is receiving a 'medal' for this. "As far as we know, this is the same FIR no. 35 filed in 2015, which they used 8 years later to arrest him. This is political vendetta. Sukhpal Singh Khaira had exposed Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and fought for the rights of the people. Today, he received a 'medal' for this," he said.






Meanwhile, reacting to the arrest, BSP MP Malook Nagar said the Congress MLA has been made a scapegoat and the I.N.D.I.A parties are doing "pressure of politics".


"He (Sukhpal Singh Khaira) has been made a scapegoat. The reality is that these parties who are forming an alliance (INDIA alliance) are doing pressure politics. They are unable to come to any agreement," the BSP MP said.


 


Priority Of Mann Govt Is Drug-Free Punjab: AAP


Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh said that the action is done as per the investigation report of the SIT.


"..law is taking its course...what Police did is according to the law...priority of Bhagwant Mann govt is drug-free Punjab...so whoever it is and whichever party member it is, law will be same for everyone, no one will be spared..." he said.






AAP MP Sushil Gupta has said that the law will take its court, adding "It is well-known that Sukhpal Khaira ji indulged in the drugs business".






"The case against Sukhpal Singh Khaira was lodged in Akali Dal rule and he was arrested during the Congress reign. He then joined Congress and got political patronage. Earlier, authorities under the government pressure couldn't take any concrete action, now they are free and law is taking its own course," he said.


 


BJP's 'INDI Jodo Yatra' Jibe At Congress-AAP Rift In Punjab


The police custody of Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira has intensified the existing rift between Congress and AAP in Punjab. Now, BJP has taken a swipe at the development and said that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should have undertaken an 'INDI Jodo Yatra'.


"What was taking AAP so long to take action? It seems that this development took place after Mr Bajwa spoke about 32 MLAs of AAP being in touch with him. After Congress said they will fight all seats in Punjab....I think Mr Rahul Gandhis should leave 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and go for 'INDI Jodo Yatra'..." Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP National Spokesperson, said.


BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the accused "must be summoned first", alleging that Punjab police is being missed.


"I remember a statement by Arvind Kejriwal where he said, 'give me Police and see what I will be doing', so that he what is being done. If someone is accused of something, he must be summoned first and make him join the investigation and if he doesn't answer then arrest him...Punjab Police is being misused...action is being taken against opposition leaders because they are speaking against the govt," Sirsa said.






"The AAP government in Punjab, which came to power in the name of change, is misusing power and doing vindictive politics," BJP's Tarun Chug said on the arrest of Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a 2015 drugs case.