The Congress on Thursday claimed that the Punjab Police entered Chandigarh in an unauthorised manner to arrest MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. The Bholath MLA was arrested earlier in the day in a 2015 drugs. Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, who met Governor Banwarilal Purohit to discuss Khaira's arrest alleged that Punjab Police personnel forced their way into Khaira's Chandigarh house to arrest him.
"Punjab Police cannot enter Chandigarh as it is a Union Territory. I am sure they have not taken permission from the Chandigarh Police. They forcibly entered his house. We've requested the Governor that if it is proved that the Punjab police officials entered without informing the Chandigarh Police, a kidnapping case should be registered against them," Bajwa said.
"They want to damage the image of the Congress as it is the primary opponent of AAP in Punjab. We will meet Khaira and will ensure that he gets bail at the earliest. We shall organise a big dharna in Bathinda tomorrow," Bajwa said after meeting the Governor.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said, "We briefed the Governor about everything that happened with Sukhpal Singh Khaira. A false case was booked against him. A jungle raj has begun in Punjab. Vendetta politics is being carried out against Khaira by involving him in an eight-year-old case. A set-up was made and without summoning him a case was registered. Police came directly to catch him. We can't be silent. We will fight till the end. People know what the truth is. We hope that the Governor will take cognisance."
Earlier, a video showed Punjab Police personnel arresting Khaira from his Chandigarh residence as he raised slogans of "Punjab sarkar murdabad [Down with Punjab government]". Khaira was later sent to two days in police custody.
Khaira was arrested in a drugs case registered in March 2015 in Jalalabad's Fazilka. Nine people were booked in the case and later convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The Supreme Court stayed the trial proceedings against the Congress legislator in 2017, who was summoned as an additional accused in the matter.