Amarinder Singh has criticized the case against Bikram Majithia, saying it won't hold water
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's statement on the blast in Ludhiana today has given fresh ammunition to the opposition BJP and Akali Dal. The Chief Minister, they said, has controversially connected the court blast -- which killed one person and injured five -- with the drugs controversy in which the state's former minster Bikram Singh Majithia has been named in a police case.
"Since we started going after the drugs issue, such incidents of sacrilege in golden temple happened... then it happened in Kapurthala, which was not a case of sacrilege. Today, there was court hearing in Mohali. Then this blast happened," Mr Channi had said in Ludhina earlier today.
The court hearing in Mohali is seen a reference to Bikram Majithia, who is seeking bail in advance. Mr Majithia has been named in an FIR for allegedly allowing drug smuggling through the use of his property or conveyance, financing the distribution or sale of drugs and criminal conspiracy for smuggling narcotics.
"We Punjabis have seen much more... we fought for independence... we have seen militancy as well... so this is not a big incident but we will control this... Nobody will be allowed to disturb the peace of state," Mr Channi had added.
Mr Channi's predecessor Amarinder Singh, who quit the Congress and is expected to partner the BJP in next year's assembly elections, was the first one to go on record with his criticism.
"It is not only unfortunate but highly irresponsible on part of the Chief Minister to jump to the conclusions by trying to construct a link between the blasts, the sacrilege incidents and the FIR against an Akali leader without any investigations", Amarinder Singh said.
The Chief Minister must speak with "facts and not political rhetoric, lest it bails out the real culprits and perpetrators," added Mr Singh, who has earlier flagged threats to the state from across the border, by Pakistan-backed terrorists.
Mr Singh has also criticized the case against Mr Majithia, saying it was not legally watertight.
"What I understand is that they are trying to make an issue out of it by showing we will arrest Majithia," Mr Sigh has told reporters.
"This is a country, which has a constitution, it has a law. Do you think for four years, we did not investigate? You cannot arrest people (without investigation and evidence). They were after me, telling me to catch them, send Badal, Majithia behind bars. You have to have evidence and enough evidence to arrest a man and prosecute him," he added.
Akali Dal spokesperson Dr Daljit Singh Cheema accused the Chief Minister of touching a new low.
"It is unfortunate that the reins of the State are in the hands of a man who is playing into the hands of anti-national agencies by refusing to investigate their hand in the recent cases which are aimed at disturbing the peace of Punjab and instead is blaming his political rivals for the same. Such statements will only help the international agencies who are behind these inhuman incidents," he said.