BJP-led Centre seeks Majithia case detail through NCB to 'weaken' it: Punjab minister Arora

Chandigarh, Jul 1 (PTI) Punjab Minister Aman Arora on Tuesday said the Narcotics Control Bureau has sought the records of a disproportionate assets case against Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, and alleged the BJP-led Centre was looking to "weaken" it.

Piling up on the allegation, another AAP minister in the state, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, claimed the Delhi Police, which is under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has denied the Punjab Vigilance Bureau permission to conduct searches at properties allegedly linked to Majithia in the national capital.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrested Majithia, the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, on June 25 over money laundering allegations involving Rs 540 crore of "drug money".

The Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB's) Amritsar zonal unit has written to the vigilance bureau, seeking joint interrogation of the Akali leader and also relevant documents and evidence collected in the case.

Speaking to reporters here, Arora said that after the case was registered, several leaders of the Congress and the BJP came out in support of the former minister.

Now the BJP-led Central government, through NCB, has sought records from the Punjab government to "help" Majithia so that he could defend himself in the case, he alleged.

"By seeking the record and sharing it with Majithia, they want to weaken the case. From this, it is clear that the BJP wants to protect its old ally." "Since 2014, the BJP has been aware of large-scale drug operations in Punjab, as revealed in statements like that of Jagdish Bhola in 2013-14. Yet, they chose to remain silent. Today, when our government takes decisive action backed by evidence, they are actively trying to weaken the case," Arora claimed.

Later, Sond said the Punjab Vigilance Bureau is conducting an in-depth investigation in connection with the disproportionate assets case registered against Majithia.

"A Punjab Police team went to Delhi on Tuesday to conduct raids at Majithia's properties, and collect documents and evidence. However, the Delhi Police, which operates under the BJP, denied the Punjab Police permission to conduct these raids," he alleged.

Sond sought to know whether the BJP was "now actively aiding Majithia and shielding him in exchange for political gains?" He accused the BJP-led central government of obstructing Punjab's efforts to bring Majithia to justice and raised concerns about the motives behind such actions.

Cabinet minister Arora, who is also the Punjab AAP president, slammed the Congress and BJP for their "hypocrisy", citing instances where Ravneet Bittu and Sunil Jakhar openly opposed the Punjab government's action against Majithia.

"It is clear that instead of supporting Punjab's fight against drugs, the Congress and BJP have repeatedly come to Majithia's defence," he stated.

"Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal, we are committed to root out the drug menace from Punjab. No one, whether a political leader, officer, or affiliate of drug syndicates, will be spared." The vigilance bureau claimed that preliminary investigations have revealed that more than Rs 540 crore of "drug money" was laundered through several channels, allegedly facilitated by Majithia. He was sent to a seven-day vigilance remand on June 26. PTI CHS NSD NSD