Youth Akali Dal holds protest, wants Jalandhar MP to resign

ACCUSES CHAUDHARY SANTOKH SINGH OF ‘SHIELDING AIDE CAUGHT IN DRUG CASE’

JALANDHAR: Alleging the involvement of a senior Congress leader from Goraya in a drug case, the Youth Akali Dal (YAD) leaders on Thursday held a protest in front of Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh’s house and demanded his resignation on moral grounds.

Led by YAD’s Doaba zone president Sarabjot Sabhi, the protesters accused Chaudhary of providing shelter to drug peddlers.

Sabhi said the local Congress leaders, led by the Jalandhar Congress MP and his son, Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikram Chaudhary, under the supervision of their senior leaders are providing patronage to drug peddlers.

Sabhi said block congress president of Rurka Kalan, Kamaldeep Singh Bittu, who is a close aide of Chaudhary, was arrested by the Rama Mandi police on July 5 after heroin was recovered from his car.

“The Congress is not ready to accept Bittu’s involvement and issuing baseless statements to protect Bittu rather than initiating a party-level inquiry against him,” said Sabhi.

The YAD leader alleged that Bittu has remained the president of the Goraya nagar panchayat thrice and is serving as the president of the Rurka Kalan block, which falls in Phillaur, Chaudhary’s assembly segment for 15 years.

“Bittu is like a family member of Chaudhary. He is often seen sharing the stage with the MP, his son.

The MP should resign from his post as he was the person who is sheltering drug peddlers in the region,” stated Sabhi.

Sabhi alleged that the Congress is trying to spoil the image of the shiromani akali dal (SAD) on drug issue, but the reality is that the Congress leaders are themselves providing patronage to drug peddlers. YAD leader also demanded the resignation of Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh on moral grounds.