Punjab: Former Congress MLA held for illegal mining, party cries vendetta politics

Former Congress MLA from Bhoa Joginder Pal was on Friday arrested by the Pathankot police after he was found indulging in "illegal mining", an official statement said.

"The government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reaffirmed its zero tolerance against corruption and illegal practices with the arrest of former Congress MLA from Bhoa Joginder Pal after he was found indulging in illegal mining,” the statement said.

The Congress dubbed the arrest a clear case of political vendetta.

The Punjab government statement while quoting Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Arun Saini said acting on reliable information, a police team was sent to the site of a crusher near Maira Kalan village on June 8, where some people were found carrying out illegal mining using an excavator machine.

He said police teams had managed to recover the heavy machine and a tractor-trailer, however, its operator and one more person managed to flee from the spot.

The excavator was registered in the name of Krishna Washed Stone Crusher, Kidi Khurd village in Taragarh, he said.

An FIR dated June 8 under the provisions of the Mining and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act was registered at the Taragarh police station.

The SSP said during investigation, it was found that former MLA Joginder Pal has 50 per cent share in Krishna Washed Stone Crusher.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the "arbitrary arrest" of the former party MLA, saying it was a clear case of political vendetta.

Warring said in a similar case, an FIR stands registered against an Aam Aadmi Party leader but he has not been arrested. Moreover, Pal's name was added as an afterthought just to arrest him, he alleged in a statement.

Warring also asked police "not to succumb to the AAP pressure and falsely implicate people".

"Please do your duty responsibly and ensure no innocent is harassed as you will be answerable as well," he said.

The state Congress president told Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that "he cannot camouflage political vendetta as war against corruption".

Warring claimed the AAP government in Punjab was frustrated over its failures and staring at a devastating defeat in the Sangrur parliamentary bypolls.

Now, in order to deflect public attention from its failures, it has resorted to targeting Congress leaders, he alleged.

"You may try to harass us for a while by misusing police but the ultimate justice is delivered by the courts and we have full faith in our judicial system," he said. PTI SUN VSD RDK