Punjab Cong delegation meets governor over partial demolition of MLA Khaira's property

Chandigarh, Feb 25 (PTI) A delegation of the Punjab Congress met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria here on Wednesday, seeking an inquiry into the demolition of a portion of the property of party MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

The delegation comprised Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Khaira and MLA Aruna Chaudhary.

A portion of the structure near the residence of Khaira was demolished by district authorities in an anti-encroachment drive at Ramgarh village in Bholath area of Kapurthala on Monday.

Khaira on Monday alleged that the demolition took place without serving him any notice and it was undertaken by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann "to silence voices of criticism and democratic dissent".

A portion of his legitimate ancestral house in his native village, a property where his family has been residing for decades, was illegally demolished by the district administration using heavy police force, Khaira had then claimed.

After handing over the representation to the governor on Wednesday evening, Punjab Congress chief Warring condemned the demolition, claiming that it was carried out without serving the notice.

Warring dubbed the demolition as "vendetta politics" against Khaira. He said the delegation met the governor, seeking a fair inquiry into the matter.

Bajwa said the governor has been apprised of this matter in detail.

"We said that it is unfortunate that Punjab has become a police state," said Bajwa.

Khaira said the delegation demanded action against concerned police and civil officers for the demolition.

"We would like to bring to your kind notice a blatantly illegal and contemptuous action of demolishing a boundary wall of Khaira's private property situated at Village Ramgarh, District Kapurthala, with a view to silence his voice and cause irreparable damage to his reputation.

"We must point out here that since the formation of the present government in March of 2022, Khaira has actively and vociferously opposed all anti-people, anti-Punjab and hypocritical policies of the Aam Aadmi Party government both inside and outside the Punjab Legislative Assembly, as is his duty as an elected member of the opposition," said the representation submitted to the governor.

Khaira claimed that he was neither served any prior notice nor given an opportunity of hearing before carrying out the demolition.

He also claimed that he possesses complete documentary records of ownership and asserted that not even an inch of his village property is illegal or unauthorized. PTI CHS KVK KVK