Punjab unit of Congress today demanded imposition of President's Rule in the state alleging existence of a nexus between Akalis, anti-social elements and police in the wake of allegations levelled by a drug lord about a state Minister's involvement in drug racket.
"The close nexus between Akalis, anti-social elements and police is spreading like a cancer," Punjab Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa said, urging Governor Shivraj V Patil to recommend President's Rule in the state.
Bajwa said he had sought to meet the Punjab Governor and President Pranab Mukherjee to apprise them about the "alarming" situation in the state in view of the recent revelations made by alleged drug smuggler Jagdish Singh Bhola.
The drug racket kingpin accused Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia of being "directly involved" in drug trade in the state, a charge vehemently denied by the minister.
"Bhola's revelations have disturbed the entire section of society in Punjab...An unrest among people exists...People are concerned that smuggling of drugs is going on at a large scale, but the state government is doing nothing," Bajwa said.
"The drug trade has inter-state and international ramifications," he said, reiterating his party's demand for a CBI probe into the Rs 6000 crore synthetic drug case.
He said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal should order a CBI probe into the drug case, failing which Congress would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court within a week's time.
He also questioned Akali Dal's ally BJP for remaining a "mute spectator" on the issue of drugs in the state.
"BJP must clear its stand, especially as Bhola has named Majithia's involvement in the drug trade," he said.
When Bajwa was asked about Majithia's claim that he had been targeted as he had "exposed" the Punjab Congress chief's "shady deals" in the periphery of Chandigarh, Bajwa said, "who had stopped Akalis to probe these deals? What they have achieved so far on these so-called deals?"
Meanwhile, Congress activists continued their protests against Majithia across the state, seeking registration of a case against him and CBI probe into the drug racket.
Opposition Congress activists also burnt effigies of Majithia and urged the Chief Minister to hand over the drug case to the CBI, reports here said.
Police used mild force to disperse Congress activists when they tried to stage protest at the minister's private residences at Amritsar and Majitha.
