BAJWA CALLS FOR KHAIRA’S EXPULSION FROM CONGRESS

Monday, 16/03/2015

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PATIALA: Even as his name has cropped up in a probe into heroin smuggling being conducted by Punjab Police, there is more trouble for former Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa has recommended his expulsion from the party on the grounds of “indiscipline”.

Khaira, once considered a close aide of Bajwa, is a fierce critic of the SAD-BJP alliance in the state.

Over the past fortnight, Bajwa has written two letters to the party high command and Congress Punjab affairs incharge Shakeel Ahmad, seeking “appropriate action” against Khaira, claiming that Khaira “intends to join the Aam Aadmi Party”. Ahmad is also the Congress general secretary.

The letters followed a post by Khaira on his Facebook page on February 27, asking people to give their views and suggestions on his joining the AAP. Bajwa’s letters do not mention the drug smuggling probe that surfaced recently.

Bajwa is said to have written the first letter on February 28. For this, he relied on a letter by Sultanpur Lodhi MLA and Kapurthala district Congress president Navtej Singh Cheema, which charged Khaira with indiscipline. Bajwa then sent a reminder to the party high command on March 3, asking for Khaira’s removal from the party. “Any delay in expulsion would mean damaging the party image,” he said. Sources said though Khaira had denied any plans to join the AAP, the Congress is set to act against him, especially as his name had now cropped up in a heroin smuggling probe, with the Fazilka police claiming that an arrested smuggler was Khaira’s close aide.

Sources said a section within the Congress wanted action against Khaira in a day or two, in order to corner the SAD-BJP alliance in the assembly on the drug issue.

“His expulsion would put the Akali Dal on the backfoot in the assembly on the drug probe against Majithia. It is this thought that is forcing the Congress leadership to act against him,” a source in the party said.

Interestingly, the Congress intends to move a privilege motion in the assembly.

However, there are leaders who are against the explusion. Sources said some key managers of Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi were in favour of continuing with Khaira.

Khaira, however, claimed he was not aware of the issue. “I have nothing to say. I can only say that inner-party democracy would hit another low in case such an action is taken against me. I only asked for public opinion on joining the AAP. No one can gag me on engaging with people who are the real kingmakers.”