Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Thursday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema’s allegation that the BJP offered Rs 25 crore each to ten of AAP legislators to join the saffron party.

Addressing a press conference here, Majithia said that this was also necessary because the AAP government had neither made the FIR registered, in this case, public even after 24 hours nor taken any action against any BJP leader or middlemen involved.

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“Punjab has never witnessed a bribery charge of this scale ever and since the Punjab Police is not acting in the matter, the case should be handed over to the Central agencies,” said SAD leader and former Minister.

The SAD leader said that a High Court monitored probe could also be conducted in the matter. He appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to get the allegations of the AAP probed thoroughly. “It is not a matter about any particular party but a challenge to democracy and its very foundations,” he said.

Majithia said that the SAD on its part would also file a complaint with the Chandigarh Police tomorrow to demand a thorough probe into the entire case keeping in view the sentiments of the people of the state and their right to know the truth.

The SAD leader also asserted that there were many loose ends in the entire bribery case. “Different leaders are giving different figures. If Cheema says ten MLAs were approached, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has put the figure to six or seven while Minister Aman Arora has given a figure of 35,” he said, adding that the AAP leadership had claimed that it had electronic evidence but the same was not being shared with the public.

Stating that the AAP may be in the process of enacting a drama at the expense of the state exchequer, Majithia said: “The government may very well hold a special session to seek a vote of confidence in the same manner in which it did in Delhi.”