Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa and nine other senior party leaders today started "chain hunger strike" demanding recommendation of a CBI probe into multi-crore drug racket and immediate dismissal and arrest of state minister Bikram Singh Majithia.
Among the leaders who sat on hunger strike today included former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and former state finance minister Laal Singh.
Addressing the party workers, Bajwa said that Congress will intensify the agitation if Punjab government does not order a CBI probe into the matter.
He said that the chain hunger strike will continue till the whole drug racket is exposed and culprits are brought to book.
In the meantime, the party would announce a new programme of agitation, Majithia said.
He said that every day party leaders including MLAs and DCC presidents from two assembly constituencies would sit on the chain hunger.
He said that Congress was using peaceful and democratic methods to shake the conscience of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is "shielding" Majithia due to close family ties.
Bajwa said he had written a letter on January 8 to the chief minister to take action against Majithia and two more ministers suspected to be involved in the drug trafficking.
The Congress leader said Jagdish Singh Bhola, the main accused in the multi-crore synthetic drug racket unearthed by Punjab police last year, has made serious allegation against Majithia and "labelled him as the mastermind of drug racket."
"Earlier, police had arrested Maninder Singh Aulakh and Jagjit Singh Chahl close confidants of Majithia and general secretary of Youth Akali Dal," he alleged.
Police have claimed to have arrested about 50 persons on the basis of confessions made by Bhola; and now separate yard sticks were being used for Majithia, who is also named by Bhola, the Congress leader said.
He said that instead of seeking an apology from the people of Punjab and taking action against key operators of drug trade, Badal has been using government machinery and legal system to protect Majithia.
