A fresh political confrontation has erupted between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who on Tuesday accused AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of misleading Punjabis by linking his disproportionate assets (DA) case to allegations of drug trafficking.
Addressing a press conference, Majithia alleged that the AAP government was attempting to divert public attention from Punjab’s law-and-order situation and other pressing issues by repeatedly associating his name with the drug case. He challenged Kejriwal and Mann to produce concrete evidence of his alleged involvement in drug trafficking, asserting that the government should rely on the actual court record rather than political statements. He also questioned the evidence cited against him, including allegations relating to vehicles and financial transactions. He alleged that four special investigation teams (SITs) had been constituted to pursue the allegations against him but had failed to establish the claims he was disputing. Majithia also alleged that the government’s statements outside court differed from its submissions during legal proceedings. He challenged the AAP leadership to make any fresh evidence public through the appropriate legal process. Turning his attack towards the Mann government, Majithia alleged that the AAP leadership was using his case to divert attention from Punjab’s deteriorating law-and-order situation and the continuing concerns over drugs. He argued that the government should answer questions about drug trafficking and other incidents in the state instead of repeatedly raising allegations against him.
Majithia claimed that the government had failed to establish a direct or indirect link between him and the alleged drug money of Rs 736 crore. Recalling Kejriwal’s apology in 2018 over allegations against him at the time, Majithia accused the AAP leadership of reviving similar accusations for political gains.
He said Kejriwal had submitted an apology before a court and undertaken not to repeat such allegations. “My lawyer has presented all the facts before the court and separated truth from falsehood,” Majithia said. Majithia said he was prepared to face investigation and legal proceedings, challenging the AAP leadership to substantiate its allegations with evidence or apologise.
