Amid Congress turmoil, Sunil Jakhar brings up letter sent to CM Bhagwant Mann in June urging court-monitored probe into drug money

‘Time-bound probe needed’

“Bhagwant Mann ji, you yourself had called this corruption a cancer. You also say that you have the files, so why don’t you open them? I had written to you earlier as well, and once again I request that a time-bound investigation be conducted under the supervision of the Chief Justice of the High Court into leaders of all parties (including myself), so that the truth can come out and it can be known who has received the money from various acts of corruption,” the post added.

On Sunday, while reacting to Navjot Kaur’s allegations, Jakhar had said, “Yes, I did hear this statement of Rs 500 crore of Navjot Kaur Sidhu, but what I heard was from the horse’s mouth (in the Congress) that someone got the CM’s post for Rs 350 crore.”

“Where has the Congress reached due to all this? I don’t have any audio proof of Rs 350 crore, nor about Rs 500 crore, maybe Navjot Kaur Sidhu has. But I still have the old tweet of former Khadoor Sahib MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa saying that the Congress has made ‘daakus’ (robbers) sit here. I want to say that those ‘daakus’ are still sitting here… They are still holding positions of power within the Congress,” Jakhar had said.

Reacting to Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s remarks on Tuesday, BJP state spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal took to X and highlighted an incident during the Congress government’s tenure under Charanjit Singh Channi. “Four years ago today, during a Cabinet meeting held in Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh two ministers started fighting in front of the Chief Minister. Officers were asked to leave the room, and their loud voices could be heard outside the room. The uproar was: ‘Money for transfer.’ Just wanted to remind everyone that this same money is what gets collected for securing the CM’s chair,” he wrote.

Letter mentioned MLAs who ‘flourished’

In his letter written on June 16, Jakhar, without naming any political party, had also pointed at many legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) who, he said, had “flourished like anything” after the government came to power. The letter, which focused on the drug money trail, said that only an investigation monitored at the highest judicial level can expose the powerful end-beneficiaries involved in the narcotics racket.

Jakhar’s letter had stated that the “mighty and powerful” players benefiting from the drug trade have crippled Punjab for years, and tracing the flow of money is crucial if the state wants to show seriousness in its fight against drugs. He cautioned that arresting addicts and small peddlers alone would not make any difference unless the money trail behind the cartels is unearthed.

Sudden rise in wealth ‘can’t be coincidence’

He had alleged that the recovery of narcotics worth several thousand crores indicates deep-rooted corruption, adding that the sudden rise in the wealth of several Punjab politicians “cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence.” He said the situation raises suspicion about the source of funding and highlights the need to target those giving patronage to drug networks.

Pointing at AAP MLAs, he claimed that many leaders who once used bicycles now own luxury cars and sprawling farmhouses, describing this as possible money laundering. He suggested that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or another credible agency could investigate the financial trail under the supervision of the Chief Justice.

Jakhar demanded that ministers, MLAs, party leaders and officials from all parties be included in the investigation, arguing that filing income tax returns does not establish transparency. He further asked that the probe should not be limited to drug money but should also include illicit funds from illegal mining and the sand mafia.

Stating that the people of Punjab are losing faith in the government’s ability to tackle the crisis, Jakhar said an urgent, independent and court-monitored investigation is essential to restore public confidence