BJP-SAD coalition 'tarnishing' Punjab's image: Satnam Kainth

Demanding resignation of Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma, Congress today said Punjab's image is being tarnished globally due to allegations of drug trade against the leaders of ruling coalition and their associates in the state.
"On moral grounds, Sharma should immediately resign from his position or should be expelled by the BJP," state Congress General Secretary Satnam Kainth said today.
It is worrisome not only for the state but for the whole country that the names of close aides of the Punjab BJP chief figure in drug trade, he said, adding, Congress has been demanding a CBI probe into the matter since long.

"Allegations are being made against ruling coalition's ministers, leaders, their associates and relatives of being complicit in the drug trade...This is tarnishing the image of the state globally and the BJP and Akali leaders are responsible for it," he said.
He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not taking any steps to check the drug menace in the state.
Stringent action should be taken against those involved in drug trade irrespective of which political party they belong to, Kainth said.
Meanwhile, Sharma yesterday at Ludhiana ruled out his resignation and said that he had not made any attempt to save the accused.

Notably, Jaspal Singh alias Jimmy Sandhu, who was earlier the personal assistant to Sharma, was on Sunday arrested on charges of accepting graft to facilitate the release of a drug smuggler Amritpal Singh.