Punjab Revenue and Public Relations minister Bikram Singh Majithia today said it appeared the Punjab Congress had become party to a conspiracy to defame him by lending its name to wild allegations made by a hardened drug criminal.
In a statement here, Majithia said "We need to understand Jagdish Bhola is a known criminal. He was caught from Murthal near Delhi after due investigations conducted by none other than Punjab Police which tracked him down after an eight month long surveillance exercise. Why would the Punjab Police take this step if any patronage was being given to drug smugglers by the State".Majithia said it was also a recorded fact that Bhola was on the run for months and that there was conclusive proof against him." Such a person, who is a desperado and facing a possible life sentence, has now made this wild allegation. It is clearly a mischievous after thought on his part as he had several opportunities to make these allegations earlier but did not do so", the minister added.
Majithia said it appeared the Punjab Congress had become party to a conspiracy to tarnish his image by using known criminals to make these wild allegations. "Punjab Congress leaders have also jumped in and joined Bhola in attacking me despite knowing Bhola's antecedents as well as the fact that my name has never crept up in any police drug racket investigation ever. This is unlike the Bajwa's whose name has come up with regard to drugs, anti national activities and land scams. It does not behove the Congress to use known criminals for ulterior political ends. If the Congress graph has gone down and it is facing factional fights, it should not stoop to character assassination", he added.I would like to assert that Bhola has been caught following an anti drug campaign launched by the SAD-BJP government under the leadership of Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal. This campaign as well as the zero tolerance policy of the State government has already led to more than 15,000 arrest and severely reduced drug trafficking in Punjab. No one, however big he may be, has been spared under this drive. This obviously has unsettled the Congress and has led it to lend its support to these wild allegations."In the end I would like to state that I am curious at the turn of events which have led to the people who have caught Bhola of being accused of wrong activities. A smuggler has become an investigator. Tomorrow Bhola may blame the Gandhi's for being responsible for drug smuggling. This turn of events should be investigated to know how this conspiracy was hatched and who all are behind it.