Navjot Sidhu patronising sand, liquor mafia: SAD
Punjab news: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday alleged that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Navjot Sidhu had become the biggest champion of sand and liquor mafia in the state after extending his complete support to "tainted" Congress legislator Madan Lal Jalalpur despite an open rebellion by Congress workers of more than 100 villages of the Ghanuar constituency.
Shiromani Akali Dal spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema alleged that Congress leader Navjot Sidhu, who used to issue grandiose statements against the sand and liquor mafia, was now openly supporting them even at the risk of opposing Congress workers.
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Reacting to Navjot Sidhu’s visit to Madan Lal Jalalpur’s residence on Wednesday after sarpanches, block samiti and zila parishad members of 100 villages of Ghanaur urged the Congress not to allot the party ticket to the legislator, the SAD leader said “if Navjot Sidhu is so sure about the honesty of Jalalpur, he should tell what action he has taken against his own party men, who are accusing their legislator of running an illegal sand and liquor mafia”.
Asking Navjot Sidhu not to believe the SAD, but to peruse the records of the Patiala police to gain complete knowledge about the activities of Jalalpur, Cheema said the seizure of an illegal distillery belonging to a close confidant of the Ghanaur legislator had revealed that the unit had done a business of more than Rs 100 crore in a few months.
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The SAD leader asked the PPCC president to disclose why he was patronising the sand and liquor mafia and whether this was part of the directives given to him by the Congress high command.
-PTC News
