Punjab BJP chief meets chief electoral officer, urges ED probe into Punjab excise policy ‘to unearth graft’

“The need and salience of this probe assumes enhanced significance in the backdrop of recent developments with Constitutional Courts of the country not only refusing bail for Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Cabinet Minister Satyender Jain and AAP MP Sanjay Singh, but also registering strong observations against the Delhi CM while acknowledging the prima facie establishment of kickbacks and money trail in the Delhi excise policy,” Jakhar stated.

He accused the Mann government of giving official sanction to plunder Punjab’s resources through the illegal excise policy, by acting “at the behest of its Delhi masters, now behind bars” and expressed concern that Punjab would have lost at least Rs 1,000 crore in revenue.

“The fact that one such company whose proprietor is behind bars already for receiving illegal benefits under Delhi excise policy was handpicked and awarded 40 per cent share in Punjab liquor trade after the inception of AAP government in the state might just be the tip of the iceberg…” the BJP president said.

Jakhar said that officers of Punjab excise department had been coerced to sign by the state AAP leadership at the behest of their Delhi masters and urged the Election Commission to also direct ED to safeguard those officers.

“It is also a genuine apprehension that black money so received by AAP through kickbacks will be put to use to influence voters during ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Moreover, under patronage of AAP leadership in Punjab, liquor barons already behind bars and gangsters in jails have been running the liquor mafia with impunity,” the memorandum further read.

To ensure free and fair elections in Punjab, Jakhar requested the officer to order a probe into the smuggling of liquor from Punjab being facilitated by the state government. The reports of hooch tragedy in Sangrur – from where both the CM Mann and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema represent the people in Vidhan Sabha – calls for immediate action, he stated.

“By acting swiftly, the ED probe must seize evidence of collusion of state government to inflict financial loot of Punjab and bring the guilty to book like the central agency has done in the Delhi excise scandal,” Jakhar concluded.

Those present in the delegation include Union Minister Som Prakash, former union minister Vijay Sampla, former state BJP presidents Ashwani Sharma and Manoranjan Kalia, party general secretary Parminder Brar, MLA Jangi Lal Mahajan, national executive member Sardar Harjit Singh Grewal, state convenor of Legal Cell N K Verma, state convenor of Cells Ranjan Kamra, state media in-charge Vineet Joshi and senior BJP leader Bibi Amanjot Ramoowalia.