Punjab News Express/Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: The AAP MLA and leader of opposition in Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira is in thick of controversy after a Fazilka court issued sommons and non-bailable warrants against him in a drug case in which some of his close aides were awarded 20 years imprisonment. The opposition parties, the Congress (ruling party), SAD and BJP are now after blood of Khiara.
Khaira is fighting out his battle for survival on two fronts, first legally and second at the political level. He might have legal remedies available but he has no option politically other than fight it out bravely from front. It is not an easy task to fight to traditional parties like Congress and SAD which are not keen to wait the judicial verdict since they are eager to implement their 'Common Minimum Programme' of decimating AAP in the Punjab politics. These parties have adopted an unsigned 'Common Minimum Programme' much before the assembly elections and it paid rich dividents to Congress party. The only fault in the scheme of things was SAD slipped to third place which they had never expected. But the key goal of keeping AAP out of power was achieved.
AAP occupied the post of leader of opposition being second largest party bringing an humiliation to Badal family. It also disturbed the Congress game plan of running government in agreement with Badals who helped 'Maharaja' to fulfill his dream of becoming CM for the last time. Though he has now changed the mind and wish to run for another term.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal feels that summon issued to Khaira was more serious issue than illegal mining going on unabated in Punjab and involvement of Rana Gurjit Singh in mining scam. Sukhbir Badal has rather found Khaira case a god sent opportunity to shift the onus of drug abuse in Punjab which ruined Punjab in last ten years from Bikram Singh Majithia to Sukhpal Singh Khaira. He is comfortable with the government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh because all his illegal buses are allowed to run freely on roads, Capt Amarinder Singh has given clean chit to Bikram Singh Majithia and present government has no interest to probe cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
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The Congress government seems not very keen to punish the SAD leaders who looted Punjab for 10 years without impunity, patronsied mafias and gangsters and ruined all constitutional institutes one by one. If he would do it it would be vendetta politics. Capt Amarinder Singh too found the Khaira case a timely opportunity for him to cash on when his government was facing public ire due to non-performance on almost every front. The victory in Gurdaspur bye-election was definitely not a verdict for performance of Capt Amarinder Singh government rather an extended anger of people against former SAD-BJP government.
Khaira case has become rallying point between SAD and Congress who were desperate for such an opportunity to upstage AAP. More than ruling Congress, SAD has more stakes in this battle after humiliating defeat in assembly elections. SAD president is using the Khaira case to cover up his family member's misdeeds. Sukhbir Singh Badal has branded Sukhpal Khaira kingpin of the drug racket in Punjab, the title with which his brother-in-law lived proudly.
Khaira must fight this battle for the survival of AAP and hopes of people of Punjab even if his party's soldiers desert him. Let Khaira draw inspiration from a novel by Hugh Sebag- "Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man" which tells the story of the rescue in May 1940 of British soldiers fleeing capture and defeat by the Nazis at Dunkirk. Dunkirk was not just about what happened at sea and on the beaches. The evacuation would never have succeeded had it not been for the tenacity of the British soldiers who stayed behind to ensure they got away.