A day after the father of ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s party’s legislator from Jalalabad Jagdeep Goldy Kamboj was arrested for extortion, the Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday demanded an independent judicial probe in the case.
Speaking to reporters, the SAD chief said the AAP government’s patronage to families of leaders of the ruling party allegedly involved in the infamous flesh trade is “ the darkest spot on Punjab’s fair and proud face.”
Badal demanded an independent judicial probe to establish if the entire flesh trade racket and abuse of women involving family members of AAP legislator Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy did not have his blessings. Goldy’s father Surinder Kamboj (67) was arrested for allegedly blackmailing a property dealer and demanding Rs 10 lakh from him for settling a rape allegation against him.
Goldy, who quit the Congress to join the AAP, defeated SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the 2022 Assembly elections.
“This shameful episode involving AAP’s golden boy has embarrassed every household in Punjab. There is credible and irrefutable evidence that Goldy and his father have been thick as thieves in everything. The legislator’s claim that he had been estranged from his father rings hollow,” Badal said.
He said first, AAP’s leaders from other states had faced serious charges of exploiting the daughters of Punjab during the 2017 elections. But now, the lid is off on the conduct of AAP’s elected leaders from the state.
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Badal also alleged harassment and humiliation heaped on Bibi Kirandeep Kaur, wife of pro Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh by the Punjab Police and Central forces.
The Akali leader said the AAP government was indulging in state-repression against innocent Sikhs including women, children and the elders on the pretext of acting against the accused unlawful people.
“Let law take its course about those who face any charges but there is no justification for harassing and humiliating the innocent members of their families, especially women. The government in Punjab is violating the Constitution in everything,” he added.
Lashing out against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Badal said “You (Badal) are indulging in double standards by claiming that Goldy cannot be punished for the wrong doings of his father but punishing Bibi Kirandeep Kaur just because she belongs to someone the government can not lay its hands on.”
The SAD president described the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election as “a fight between a party of Punjabis versus the outsiders.”
