Internal rift widens in Punjab Cong ahead of polls

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Ahead of the Assembly polls, the internal rift in Punjab Congress has widened with state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu attacking his own government and ministers, including Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

According to sources, party leaders in Delhi are unhappy with the state of affairs in Punjab and have asked the state leaders to put up a united front and refrain from speaking against each other.

Sidhu has been critical of state Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who reportedly has offered to quit his portfolio, for not arresting SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a drug case.

The Congress leaders have been saying the government will take action against him but only an FIR has been lodged.

Former Akali minister and brother-in-law of Sukhbir Badal, Bikram Singh Majithia was booked on December 21, under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. As per the FIR, Majihtia was booked for allowing drug smuggling through use of his property or conveyance, financing the distribution or sale of drugs and hatching a criminal conspiracy for smuggling.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi had said last month that his government won't allow any drug trafficker to go scot-free and that the law will take its own course in Majithia's case.

Channi had reiterated his government's firm commitment to completely eradicate the menace of drugs.

But a restless is demanding an immediate action against Majithia and has accused the home minister of "complacency" adding to the troubles in the state unit.

Though the Congress leadership in Delhi is trying to fix internal problems of the states going to polls but there seems to be no end to the toubles as after Punjab, problems erupted in Uttarakhand. Now Punjab, Goa, Manipur units are witnessing exodus of MLAs.