Chandigarh, Feb 5 (IANS) Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal Thursday claimed the Enforcement Directorate had given a clean chit to state's powerful Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the multi-million rupee international synthetic drugs racket.
Senior Akali Dal leaders and cabinet ministers Tota Singh and Sikandar Singh Maluka said that the clean chit given to Majithia by the ED "with the explicit declaration that Mr. Majithia was not connected with drugs issue" has exposed the "nefarious propaganda of Congress that was bent upon defaming the state".
"The ED clean chit to Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia has approved the Punjab government's stand on the drugs issue, besides putting the misleading campaign of opposition on mat once again," the ministers said in a joint statement.
The ministers demanded a public apology from state Congress leaders, especially its president Pratap Singh Bajwa for pointing accusing fingers at Majithia.
Majithia was questioned by the ED late December last year for over four hours with regard to money-laundering links in the Rs.6,000 crore international synthetic drugs racket busted by the Punjab Police in 2013.
The younger brother of Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and brother-in-law of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, he faced allegations of having links with certain NRIs who have been accused of international money laundering related to the massive drugs racket.
The ED, a wing under the union finance ministry, had sent summons to Majithia to appear Dec 26.
There had been demands from various quarters for Majithia's resignation on moral grounds after his questioning by the ED.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, however, ruled out Majithia's resignation even though ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been running a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab since 2007, sought Majithia's resignation.
Infiltration bid foiled on LoC: Army
Jammu, Feb 14 (IANS) The army Saturday foiled an infiltration bid on the line of control (LoC)
Delhi Blast: Al Falah University under scrutiny, ED raids 25 locations in Delhi-Faridabad
The strings of the terrorist attack in Delhi have now reached Faridabad, Haryana. The Enforcement
The Union Home Secretary has told the Supreme Court that the promise of maximum punishment of 25
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that a large reserve of crude oil and gas ha
The budget session of Parliament is starting from today. The session will begin with the address
On the 19th day of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli Air Force carried out a massive bombardment
A big update has come in the case of assault on Rajya Sabha MP from Aam Aadmi Party, Swati Maliwa
China to face misinformation on Covid-19: Donald Trump
Washington
US President Donald Trump has said in gestures that China will have to suffer
Before the MCD elections, BJP showed a sting operation on Monday. Claimed that AAP leaders are de
The Family Court of Madhya Pradesh has made an important comment on a divorce case. The Chief Jus
