Akali Dal govt spread 'Chitta' in Punjab from 2007–17, says AAP

Chandigarh, June 30 (IANS) Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), alleging that from 2007 to 2017, the coalition government was responsible for spreading ‘Chitta’ (a synthetic drug) across every ward, village, and city in Punjab.

His remarks follow the June 26 order by a Mohali court sending senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia — arrested by the Vigilance Bureau for allegedly laundering over Rs 540 crore in “drug money” — to seven days of vigilance remand.

Speaking to IANS, Tarunpreet Singh Sond said, “Everyone knows, and there is talk even among children, that before 2007 we had never even heard of ‘Chitta’ in Punjab. There was no such thing. But in 2007, when the Akali Dal–BJP government was formed, within ten years they spread Chitta in every ward, every village, every city of Punjab.”

He added that it was now the government’s responsibility to examine the law and order situation, to understand what was destroying Punjab’s youth, and to take firm action.

“Around 2012–13, even their own people began making statements that they had told Parkash Singh Badal that Bikram Singh Majithia was involved in criminal activities.

"Now, international smugglers are delivering drugs in trucks to your homes, using your vehicles. If you don’t pay attention, it will only get worse. Among the children, it is openly discussed that this is the ‘Chitta party,’ whose senior leaders are directly connected to Bikram Singh Majithia,” Sond told IANS.

He further said that Majithia’s properties were allegedly acquired with illicit drug money.

“This wealth is illegal. The investigation is ongoing. The final decision will undoubtedly be in public interest. Whoever is responsible for Punjab’s destruction, whoever pushed its youth onto the wrong path, will face the strictest possible action,” Sond said.

Responding to Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal —who on Saturday challenged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to prove that Saraya Industries Limited (in which Majithia holds an inherited 11 per cent share) had received even a single rupee of foreign funding from 2007 to the present — Sond dismissed it as an attempt to protect family.

“This Akali Dal government was essentially one of nepotism. Parkash Singh Badal was the Chief Minister, his son the Deputy Chief Minister, his son’s brother-in-law a minister, his son-in-law a minister, all the relatives were adjusted somewhere.

"Now one of these relatives — Sukhbir Singh Badal himself — is Majithia’s brother-in-law. Everyone knows the relationship between brothers-in-law. He could do whatever wrong he wanted, knowing his brother-in-law would always come to save him. Whatever sins he committed, Sukhbir Singh Badal is now trying to protect him. So frankly, Sukhbir’s defence doesn’t matter,” Sond concluded.

--IANS

jk/rad