Days after Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa’s claim that 32 Aam Aadmi Party or AAP MLAs are in touch with him, the police on Thursday morning  arrested Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira from his Chandigarh residence in connection with a 2015 case registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

A team of Punjab Police raided Khaira’s residence in the morning and later detained him. The Congress party has termed his arrest “vendetta politics” of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.

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On Tuesday, Bajwa claimed that 32 MLAs belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party are in touch with him and asserted that his party will be able to overthrow the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government with their help.

The arrest also comes in the backdrop of brewing troubles between Congress and AAP – both members of Opposition’s INIDA alliance bloc – over distribution of seats in Delhi and Punjab. While AAP is adamant of contesting all seven parliamentary seats in Delhi, the Congress has announced to contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections.

This contradicted the INDIA bloc’s resolution of contesting 2024 Lok Sabha elections together “as far as possible”. The arrest of Congress MLA Khaira is likely to create more difference among INDIA bloc partners.

Won’t tolerate injustice, says Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge

Reacting to the arrest, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that his party will not tolerate any injustice.  “I am seeking details on it…If somebody does injustice, they don’t stay for long. If they do injustice with us then we won’t tolerate it,” Kharge said.

The BJP has also slammed AAP over the delay in action against Khaira and claimed that the decision to detain him was taken after Congress’ announcement to contest all seats in Punjab.

“The case is of 2015. AAP govt came into power in March 2022. Today we are in September 2023…What was taking AAP and its police and government so long to take action?” the BJP leader questioned while speaking to news agency ANI.

“It seems that this development comes after Congress said they will fight all seats in Punjab…After the Congress and AAP have been fighting over the seven seats in Delhi,” Poonwalla added.

“Bhagwant Mann has become thirsty for blood”

Meanwhile, the authorities produced Sukhpal Singh Khaira before the court in Fazilka. Speaking outside the court complex, the Congress MLA said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has turned “thirsty for blood”. He also claimed that CM Mann could even get him killed.

“They used to say that we are doing “Badlaav ki Rajneeti” but they are doing “Badla ki Rajneeti”. Bhagwant Mann has become thirsty for blood,” Khaira added.