Revenue minister Bikram Majithia must quit Team Badal, demands BJP

CHANDIGARH: In a move that could further strain the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab, the saffron outfit on Monday demanded the resignation of revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia after the enforcement directorate served summons on him in connection with the Rs 6,000-crore synthetic drugs scam.

Majithia, brother of Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and brother-in-law of Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal, was conspicuous by his absence during the first sitting of the winter session of the state assembly that began on Monday. Sukhbir too was not present.

The ED has summoned Majithia to answer questions over his alleged involvement in an international racket of pseudoephedrine, which is known as 'ice' on the street. Punjab police had busted the racket in 2013 with the arrest of former policeman Jagdish Bhola. Bhola named Majithia as being involved in the illicit trade. The minister is alleged to have links with three Canada-based NRIs who have been booked by the ED in the case. The three NRIs allegedly stayed at Majithia's residence in Chandigarh and at his house in Amritsar.


Urging chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to follow the precedent of morality he himself had set by asking for cabinet minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur's resignation on similar grounds and in the same case, BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh said, "It would not be in the interest of either the Akali Dal or the government to apply different yardsticks to different persons involved in a single case."

Making it clear that there was "nothing personal and no ill-will was involved", Chugh said what BJP was suggesting was to protect the image of the government run by the SAD-BJP alliance. The alliance has been going through a rough patch for the past several months.

However, Badal — taking questions from reporters after attending a meeting of the Akali-BJP alliance — ruled out asking Majithia to resign.

When reporters reminded him that Phillaur had resigned in May this year after his son's name cropped up in the case, Badal said, "Phillaur resigned on his own. I never asked him to do so."

SAD general secretary Daljeet Singh Cheema said, "You cannot punish anybody merely on the basis of summons. SAD is with Majithia and there is no need for him to resign. If something concrete comes up, we will see."

Meanwhile, Congress said it would move a no-confidence motion against the SAD-BJP government on Tuesday.

Congress legislature party leader Sunil Jakhar said, "This government has no moral authority to continue now." Jakhar alleged the state government and Punjab police were shielding Majithia. "All drug traders have named him (Majithia) at some point," he said. "Their statements are independent. They can't name him without reason. He must step down now."